1.Pathogenesis and Syndrome Differentiation of "Gaozhuo" of Oxidative Stress in Diabetic Kidney Disease
Yuman YIN ; Yunfeng YU ; Xiangning HUANG ; Jiawang HUANG ; Gang HU ; Juan HUANG ; Rong YU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):226-234
Oxidative stress is a pivotal factor in the onset and progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and it plays an essential role in the prevention and treatment of DKD. The "Gaozhuo" pathogenesis posits that DKD is characterized by the invasion of Gaozhuo and damage to the kidney collaterals, with the underlying cause being the insufficiency of spleen Qi and the internal formation of Gaozhuo, which provides valuable guidance on oxidative stress. The insufficiency of spleen Qi and the internal formation of Gaozhuo represent a dynamic, evolving process. Gaozhuo invades the kidney collaterals, impairs kidney Qi, and progressively leads to the congealing and stagnation of Gaozhuo and blood, ultimately resulting in the failure of both the spleen and kidneys. The damage caused by Gaozhuo to the kidney collaterals and kidney Qi is analogous to the organ and functional damage of the kidneys induced by excessive reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. Damage to the kidney collaterals means organic injuries to the glomeruli, renal tubules, and renal interstitium, and the depletion of kidney Qi refers to damage to glomerular filtration and renal tubular reabsorption. The congealing and stagnation of Gaozhuo and blood in the kidney collaterals is similar to oxidative stress-induced thickening of the glomerular basement membrane and fibrosis. The interaction between spleen and kidney Qi deficiency and the congealing and stagnation of Gaozhuo and blood creates a vicious cycle that exacerbates the condition, ultimately evolving into the failure of both the spleen and kidneys. The failure of the spleen and kidneys is analogous to renal failure, and its extreme manifestation is end-stage renal disease and uremia. The treatment of oxidative stress in DKD with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is based on the principles of strengthening the spleen and tonifying the kidneys, and dispelling turbidity and removing blood stasis. According to the syndrome type, it is recommended to use methods such as strengthening the spleen and tonifying Qi while dispelling dampness and removing turbidity, strengthening the spleen and tonifying the kidneys while dispelling dampness and removing turbidity, strengthening the spleen and tonifying the kidneys while dispelling turbidity and removing blood stasis, or consolidating the spleen and kidneys while clearing away turbidity and blood stasis.
2.Construction of Risk Prediction Model for Frequent Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Under Disease-syndrome Combination
Jing ZHOU ; Gang TENG ; Nianzhi ZHANG ; Yuanyuan WANG ; Qianqian ZHANG ; He HUANG ; Ling LIU ; Mei DONG ; Juan JI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):143-151
ObjectiveTo construct a risk prediction model for frequent acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) under disease-syndrome combination, thus providing decision support for precise clinical intervention. MethodsA total of 2 029 patients with acute exacerbations of COPD admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to August 2024 were retrospectively included. These patients were classified into groups of frequent acute exacerbations (≥2 times/year) and infrequent acute exacerbations (<2 times/year) according to the hospitalization times per year. Risk factors were screened by LASSO regression combined with logistic regression, and a nomogram model was constructed. The model performance was assessed based on the area under the curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). ResultsThe differences in baseline characteristics between the frequent acute exacerbations group (1 196 cases) and infrequent acute exacerbations group (833 cases) were not statistically significant. LASSO regression combined with multivariate logistic regression screened the following independent risk factors: body mass index (BMI), hospitalization days, number of smoking years, place of residence, use of noninvasive ventilators, oxygen-demanding therapy, liver cirrhosis, use of systemic glucocorticosteroids, and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome (phlegm and stasis obstructing the lung). The nomogram model showed good discrimination and calibration in both the training set (AUC=0.748) and validation set (AUC=0.774). ConclusionThe risk prediction model for frequent acute exacerbations of COPD, integrating traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, constructed in this study has high accuracy. It can provide a scientific basis for early clinical identification of high-risk patients and individualized intervention.
3.Changes in contrast-enhanced computed tomography quantitative parameters and their relationships with pathological grades in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Gang ZHOU ; Rong HUANG ; Qian CHENG
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2026;35(1):49-55
Objective To explore the change pattern of quantitative parameters in contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scans during the cortical and nephrographic phases in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of these quantitative parameters in predicting the pathological grade of ccRCC preoperatively, and provide imaging reference for clinically evaluating preoperative disease severity and formulating individualized therapeutic regimens. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 84 patients with ccRCC treated in our hospital between September 2022 and September 2024. According to the World Health Organization/International Society of Urological Pathology (WHO/ISUP) pathological grading system, patients were divided into a high-grade group (n = 32) and a low-grade group (n = 52). CECT features and quantitative parameters were compared between the two groups. The relationships between CECT quantitative parameters and pathological grading in ccRCC patients were analyzed using Spearman correlation. The diagnostic value of these parameters for preoperative pathological grading was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results The maximum tumor diameter and the proportion of tumors with blurred margins were higher in the high-grade group than in the low-grade group (P<0.05). The CT values, net enhancement values, and enhancement rates during both the cortical and nephrographic phases were lower in the high-grade group than in the low-grade group (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the CT values, net enhancement values, and enhancement rates during both the cortical and nephrographic phases were negatively correlated with preoperative pathological grades in ccRCC patients (P<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve for preoperative pathological grading using the combination of cortical phase CT value, cortical phase net enhancement value, cortical phase enhancement rate, nephrographic phase CT value, nephrographic phase net enhancement value, and nephrographic phase enhancement rate was 0.912, which was higher than the areas for any individual parameter used alone (0.770, 0.748, 0.763, 0.751, 0.739, and 0.718, respectively; P<0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, and 95% confidence interval for the parameters used in combination were 96.88%, 69.23%, and 0.853-0.970, respectively. Conclusion CECT quantitative parameters were negatively correlated with pathological grades in patients with single ccRCC and demonstrated high diagnostic efficiency for pathological grading, providing a reference for clinical treatment planning.
4.Influencing factors of cognitive dysfunction in open angle glaucoma patients and construction of a decision tree model
Gang WU ; Yadong WENG ; Chenghua HUANG
International Eye Science 2026;26(4):718-723
AIM: To analyze the influencing factors of cognitive dysfunction in patients with open angle glaucoma, and construct a risk prediction decision tree model. METHODS:Retrospective study. The clinical data of patients with open angle glaucoma treated in the hospital from February 2022 to November 2024 were collected, and patients were divided into a cognitive dysfunction group and a cognitive function normal group according to the evaluation results of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale(MoCA)at the time of admission, and the clinical data of the two groups were compared. The influencing factors of cognitive dysfunction in patients with open angle glaucoma were analyzed through Logistic regression model, and the decision tree model was analyzed and constructed based on the clinical data of the two groups through the decision tree CHAID algorithm, and the predictive performance of two models was compared using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves. RESULTS:The total of 179 patients with open angle glaucoma were included in this study, and were divided into a cognitive dysfunction group of 107 cases(59 males and 48 females, with 66 cases aged ≥60 y)and a cognitive function normal group of 72 cases(34 males and 38 females, with 28 cases aged ≥60 y)according to the MoCA assessment results at the time of patient admission.The incidence of cognitive dysfunction was 59.8%(107/179). The proportion of age ≥60y, education level of junior high school or below, hypertension, sleep disorders, and middle/late stage diseases in the cognitive dysfunction group were higher than those in the cognitive function normal group(all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥60 y, education level of junior high school or below, hypertension, sleep disorders, and middle/late stage disease were all risk factors for cognitive dysfunction in patients with open angle glaucoma(all P<0.05). The risk prediction decision tree model constructed using the decision tree CHAID algorithm included 4 layers and 11 nodes, and it outputed 5 risk variables: disease severity, age, sleep disorders, education level, and hypertension. Among them,the disease severity was the first layer risk variable. The ROC curve showed that the area under curve for predicting cognitive dysfunction in patients with open angle glaucoma using the risk prediction decision tree model and logistic regression model was 0.849 and 0.842 respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference in the predictive value between the two models(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The disease severity, age, sleep disorders, education level, and hypertension are influencing factors for cognitive dysfunction in patients with open angle glaucoma, and the risk prediction decision tree model analyzed and constructed by the decision tree CHAID algorithm has good predictive value for cognitive dysfunction.
5.Medication rules and mechanisms of treating chronic renal failure by Jinling medical school based on data mining, network pharmacology, and experimental validation.
Jin-Long WANG ; Wei WU ; Yi-Gang WAN ; Qi-Jun FANG ; Yu WANG ; Ya-Jing LI ; Fee-Lan CHONG ; Sen-Lin MU ; Chu-Bo HUANG ; Huang HUANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(6):1637-1649
This study aims to explore the medication rules and mechanisms of treating chronic renal failure(CRF) by Jinling medical school based on data mining, network pharmacology, and experimental validation systematically and deeply. Firstly, the study selected the papers published by the inherited clinicians in Jinling medical school in Chinese journals using the subject headings named "traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) + chronic renal failure", "TCM + chronic renal inefficiency", or "TCM + consumptive disease" in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database and screened TCM formulas for treating CRF according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study analyzed the frequency of use of single TCM and the four properties, five tastes, channel tropism, and efficacy of TCM used with high frequency and performed association rule and clustering analysis, respectively. As a result, a total of 215 TCM formulas and 235 different single TCM were screened, respectively. The TCM used with high frequency included Astragali Radix, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Poria, and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma(top 5). The single TCM characterized by "cold properties, sweet flavor, and restoring spleen channel" and the TCM with the efficacy of tonifying deficiency had the highest frequency of use, respectively. Then, the TCM with the rules of "blood-activating and stasis-removing" and "diuretic and dampness-penetrating" appeared. In addition, the core combination of TCM [(Hexin Formula, HXF)] included "Astragali Radix, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Poria, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, and Angelicae Sinensis Radix". The network pharmacology analysis showed that HXF had 91 active compounds and 250 corresponding protein targets including prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2), PTGS1, sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 5(SCN5A), cholinergic receptor muscarinic 1(CHRM1), and heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1(HSP90AA1)(top 5). Gene Ontology(GO) function analysis revealed that the core targets of HXF predominantly affected biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions such as positive regulation of transcription by ribonucleic acid polymerase Ⅱ and DNA template transcription, formation of cytosol, nucleus, and plasma membrane, and identical protein binding and enzyme binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) analysis revealed that CRF-related genes were involved in a variety of signaling pathways and cellular metabolic pathways, primarily involving "phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(Akt) pathway" and "advanced glycation end products-receptor for advanced glycation end products". Molecular docking results showed that the active components in HXF such as isomucronulatol 7-O-glucoside, betulinic acid, sitosterol, and przewaquinone B might be crucial in the treatment of CRF. Finally, a modified rat model with renal failure induced by adenine was used, and the in vivo experimental confirmation was performed based on the above-mentioned predictions. The results verify that HXF can regulate mitochondrial autophagy in the kidneys and the PI3K-Akt-mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) signaling pathway activation at upstream, so as to alleviate renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and then delay the progression of CRF.
Data Mining
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
;
Network Pharmacology
;
Humans
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Kidney Failure, Chronic/metabolism*
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
China
6.Identification of Lonicera japonica TPS gene family and expression analysis under aphid damage.
Gang WANG ; Yuan CUI ; Qi-Dong LI ; Lu-Yao HUANG ; Zhen-Hua LIU ; Jia LI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(8):2116-2129
This study explores the basic characteristics and potential functions of the terpene synthase(TPS) gene family members in Lonicera japonica. The L. japonica TPS(LjTPS) gene family was identified and functionally analyzed using bioinformatics methods. The results showed that a total of 70 members of the LjTPS gene family were identified in L. japonica, with protein lengths ranging from 130 to 1 437 amino acids. Most of these proteins were hydrophilic, and they were unevenly distributed across nine chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the LjTPS gene family members were divided into six subfamilies, mainly consisting of members from the TPS-a, TPS-b, and TPS-e subfamilies. Promoter cis-acting element analysis showed that LjTPS members contained a large number of stress-responsive cis-acting elements. Aphid inoculation experiments showed that key enzyme genes in the MVA pathway for terpenoid backbone synthesis in L. japonica, such as HMGS, HMGR, MK, MPD, and the key enzyme gene in the DXP pathway, DXS, exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease under aphid stress. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of the α-farnesene synthase genes LjTPS34 and LjTPS39 were down-regulated, while the expression levels of(E)-β-caryophyllene synthase genes LjTPS15 and LjTPS17 were up-regulated 12 h before aphid feeding, then began to decline. Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase(FPS), which interacted with these genes, also displayed a pattern of increasing followed by decreasing expression. The expression of linalool synthase genes LjTPS12 and LjTPS33 was significantly up-regulated after 72 h of aphid feeding(P<0.000 1), reaching 24.39 and 22.64 times the initial expression, respectively. This pattern was in close alignment with the trend of linalool content in L. japonica. This study provides a theoretical foundation for future research on the interaction between L. japonica and pests, as well as on the functional roles of the LjTPS gene family.
Animals
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Aphids/physiology*
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Alkyl and Aryl Transferases/chemistry*
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Lonicera/parasitology*
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Phylogeny
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Plant Proteins/chemistry*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
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Multigene Family
;
Terpenes/metabolism*
7.International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025).
Sheng-Sheng ZHANG ; Lu-Qing ZHAO ; Xiao-Hua HOU ; Zhao-Xiang BIAN ; Jian-Hua ZHENG ; Hai-He TIAN ; Guan-Hu YANG ; Won-Sook HONG ; Yu-Ying HE ; Li LIU ; Hong SHEN ; Yan-Ping LI ; Sheng XIE ; Jin SHU ; Bin-Fang ZENG ; Jun-Xiang LI ; Zhen LIU ; Zheng-Hua XIAO ; Jing-Dong XIAO ; Pei-Yong ZHENG ; Shao-Gang HUANG ; Sheng-Liang CHEN ; Gui-Jun FEI
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(5):502-518
Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterized by persistent or recurrent dyspeptic symptoms without identifiable organic, systemic or metabolic causes, is an increasingly recognized global health issue. The objective of this guideline is to equip clinicians and nursing professionals with evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of adult patients with FD using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Guideline Development Group consulted existing TCM consensus documents on FD and convened a panel of 35 clinicians to generate initial clinical queries. To address these queries, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, China Biology Medicine (SinoMed) Database, Wanfang Database, Traditional Medicine Research Data Expanded (TMRDE), and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS). The evidence from the literature was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The strength of the recommendations was ascertained through a consensus-building process involving TCM and allopathic medicine experts, methodologists, pharmacologists, nursing specialists, and health economists, leveraging their collective expertise and empirical knowledge. The guideline comprises a total of 43 evidence-informed recommendations that span a range of clinical aspects, including the pathogenesis according to TCM, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic interventions, efficacy assessments, and prognostic considerations. Please cite this article as: Zhang SS, Zhao LQ, Hou XH, Bian ZX, Zheng JH, Tian HH, Yang GH, Hong WS, He YY, Liu L, Shen H, Li YP, Xie S, Shu J, Zeng BF, Li JX, Liu Z, Xiao ZH, Xiao JD, Zheng PY, Huang SG, Chen SL, Fei GJ. International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025). J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):502-518.
Dyspepsia/drug therapy*
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Humans
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
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Practice Guidelines as Topic
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
9.Clinical and histological evaluation of three-dimensional printing individualized titanium mesh for alveolar bone defect repair.
Pengyu ZHAO ; Gang CHEN ; Yi CHENG ; Chao WANG ; Dan CHEN ; Haitao HUANG
West China Journal of Stomatology 2025;43(4):592-602
OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the osteogenic efficacy of three-dimensional printing individualized titanium mesh (3D-PITM) as a scaffold material in guided bone regeneration (GBR).
METHODS:
1) Patients undergoing GBR for alveolar bone defects were enrolled as study subjects, and postoperative healing complications were recorded. 2) Postoperative cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans acquired at least 6 months post-surgery were used to calculate the percentage of actual bone formation volume. 3) Alveolar bone specimens were collected during the first-stage implant surgery for histomorphometric analysis. This analysis quantitatively measured the proportions of newly formed bone and newly formed unmineralized bone within the specimens. Specimens were categorized into three groups based on healing complications (good healing group, wound dehiscence group, 3D-PITM exposure group) to compare differences in the proportions of newly formed bone and newly formed unmineralized bone.
RESULTS:
1) Twelve patients were included. Guided bone regeneration failed in one patient, and 3D-PITM exposure occurred in three patients (exposure rate: 25%). 2) The mean percentage of actual bone formation volume in the 11 successful guided bone regeneration cases was 95.23%±28.85%. 3) Histomorphometric analysis revealed that newly formed bone constituted 40.35% of the alveolar bone specimens, with newly formed unmineralized bone accounting for 13.84% of the newly formed bone. Intergroup comparisons showed no statistically significant differences (P>0.05) in the proportions of newly formed bone or newly formed unmineralized bone between the good healing group and the wound dehiscence group or the 3D-PITM exposure group.
CONCLUSIONS
3D-PITM enables effective bone augmentation. Radiographic assessment demonstrated favorable bone formation volume, while histological analysis confirmed substantial formation of newly formed mineralized bone within the surgical site.
Humans
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Printing, Three-Dimensional
;
Titanium
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Cone-Beam Computed Tomography
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Bone Regeneration
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Osteogenesis
;
Surgical Mesh
;
Tissue Scaffolds
;
Alveolar Process/surgery*
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Adult
;
Male
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Middle Aged
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Female
;
Wound Healing
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Guided Tissue Regeneration, Periodontal/methods*
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Alveolar Bone Loss/surgery*
10.Inhibitory effect and mechanism of active components of Alpinia katsumadai on tumor xenograft growth and tumor angiogenesis of human pancreatic cancer cells in nude mice
Gang LIANG ; Jianlin HUANG ; Jian WANG ; Dan ZHANG ; Minghua LIU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(24):3054-3059
OBJECTIVE To investigate the inhibitory effect and mechanism of the active components of Alpinia katsumadai (ACAK) on tumor xenograft growth and tumor angiogenesis of human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells in nude mice. METHODS A tumor xenograft model in nude mice was established using human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells. The mice were randomly divided into model control group (intragastric administration of 0.9% normal saline), solvent control group (intragastric administration of 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium), positive control group (intraperitoneal injection of 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium+bevacizumab suspension 5 mg/kg ), and ACAK 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg groups (intragastric administration of 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium+ACAK suspension 50, 100, 200 mg/kg). The administration was carried out for 5 consecutive days followed by a 2-day interval, and this cycle was repeated for a total duration of 28 days. The tumor volume (TV), relative tumor volume (RTV), and relative tumor proliferation rate (T/C) at various time points from day 1 to day 28 after drug administration were measured and calculated for each group of nude mice. After the drug administration, the tumor weights were measured, and microvessel density (MVD) in the tumor xenograft tissues of nude mice, as well as relative protein expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor [fas-like tyrosine kinase-1 (Flt-1), kinase insert domain receptor (KDR)] were detected. RESULTS On the 24th day of ACAK administration,compared with the model control group, the TV and RTV (except for ACAK 50 and 100 mg/kg groups) of nude mice in the positive control group and ACAK dose groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the T/C of ACAK dose groups showed a dose-dependent decrease; the microvascular distribution of nude mice in the positive control group and ACAK dose groups was relatively sparse, and the tumor weight (except for the ACAK 50 mg/kg group), MVD, and relative expression levels of VEGF, KDR, and Flt-1 in the tumor xenograft tissues were significantly reduced (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS ACAK has a good anti-pancreatic cancer effect, and its mechanism may be related to its inhibition of VEGF/ VEGFR signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer.

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