1.Spatiotemporal Electrical Impedance Tomography for Speech Respiratory Assessment in Cleft Palate: an Interpretable Machine Learning Study
Yang WU ; Xiao-Jing ZHANG ; Hao YU ; Cheng-Hui JIANG ; Bo SUN ; Jia-Feng YAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):485-500
ObjectiveCleft palate (CP) is a common congenital deformity often associated with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), which disrupts the physiological coupling between respiration and speech. Conventional clinical assessments, such as nasometry and spirometry, provide limited static data and fail to visualize the dynamic spatiotemporal distribution of lung ventilation during phonation. This study introduces spatiotemporal electrical impedance tomography (ST-EIT) to evaluate speech-respiratory functional features in CP patients compared to normal controls (NC). The aim is to characterize multi-domain respiratory patterns and to validate an interpretable machine learning framework for providing objective, quantitative evidence for clinical assessment. MethodsSeventy-five participants were enrolled in this study, comprising 37 patients with surgically repaired CP and 38 healthy volunteers matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). All subjects performed standardized sustained phonation tasks while undergoing synchronous monitoring with a 16-electrode EIT system and a pneumotachograph. A comprehensive feature engineering pipeline was developed to extract physiological parameters across 3 complementary domains. (1) Temporal domain: including inspiratory/expiratory phase duration (tPhase), time constants (Tau), and inspiratory-to-expiratory time ratios (TI/TE); (2) airflow domain: comprising mean flow, peak flow, and instantaneous flow at 25%, 50%, and 75% of tidal volume; and (3) spatial domain: quantifying global and regional tidal impedance variation (TIV), global inhomogeneity (GI), and center of ventilation (CoV). Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) classifiers were trained using 5 distinct data sources (Spirometry, Nasometry, Inspiratory-EIT, Expiratory-EIT, and fused ST-EIT). Model performance was rigorously evaluated via stratified 5-fold cross-validation, and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were employed to quantify global and local feature contributions. ResultsThe CP group exhibited a distinct respiratory phenotype compared to controls. In the temporal domain, CP patients showed significantly shorter inspiratory (1.60 s vs.1.85 s, P<0.001) and expiratory phase durations (2.45 s vs. 3.95 s, P<0.001), indicating a rapid, shallow breathing rhythm. In the airflow domain, while inspiratory flows were comparable, the CP group demonstrated significantly elevated mean and peak flows during the expiratory phase (P<0.001), reflecting compensatory respiratory effort. Spatially, CP patients presented significant ventilation redistribution, characterized by higher regional TIV in the right-anterior (ROI1) and left-posterior (ROI4) quadrants, but lower TIV in the left-anterior (ROI2) quadrant. In terms of diagnostic accuracy, the multi-modal ST-EIT model achieved the highest performance (AUC: 0.915±0.012, Accuracy: 0.843±0.019, F1-score: 0.872±0.017), substantially outperforming models based on spirometry (AUC: 0.721) or nasometry (AUC: 0.625) alone. Interpretability analysis revealed that spatial domain features were the most critical, contributing 53.4% to the model’s decision-making, followed by temporal (25.0%) and airflow (21.6%) features. ConclusionST-EIT successfully captures the temporal, airflow, and spatial deviations in CP speech respiration that are undetectable by conventional methods—specifically, rapid phase transitions, hyperdynamic expiratory airflow, and regional ventilation heterogeneity. This study validates ST-EIT as a robust, non-invasive, and radiation-free tool for characterizing speech-respiratory dysfunction, offering high clinical value for bedside screening, rehabilitation planning, and longitudinal monitoring of patients with cleft palate.
2.Spatiotemporal Electrical Impedance Tomography for Speech Respiratory Assessment in Cleft Palate: an Interpretable Machine Learning Study
Yang WU ; Xiao-Jing ZHANG ; Hao YU ; Cheng-Hui JIANG ; Bo SUN ; Jia-Feng YAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):485-500
ObjectiveCleft palate (CP) is a common congenital deformity often associated with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), which disrupts the physiological coupling between respiration and speech. Conventional clinical assessments, such as nasometry and spirometry, provide limited static data and fail to visualize the dynamic spatiotemporal distribution of lung ventilation during phonation. This study introduces spatiotemporal electrical impedance tomography (ST-EIT) to evaluate speech-respiratory functional features in CP patients compared to normal controls (NC). The aim is to characterize multi-domain respiratory patterns and to validate an interpretable machine learning framework for providing objective, quantitative evidence for clinical assessment. MethodsSeventy-five participants were enrolled in this study, comprising 37 patients with surgically repaired CP and 38 healthy volunteers matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). All subjects performed standardized sustained phonation tasks while undergoing synchronous monitoring with a 16-electrode EIT system and a pneumotachograph. A comprehensive feature engineering pipeline was developed to extract physiological parameters across 3 complementary domains. (1) Temporal domain: including inspiratory/expiratory phase duration (tPhase), time constants (Tau), and inspiratory-to-expiratory time ratios (TI/TE); (2) airflow domain: comprising mean flow, peak flow, and instantaneous flow at 25%, 50%, and 75% of tidal volume; and (3) spatial domain: quantifying global and regional tidal impedance variation (TIV), global inhomogeneity (GI), and center of ventilation (CoV). Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) classifiers were trained using 5 distinct data sources (Spirometry, Nasometry, Inspiratory-EIT, Expiratory-EIT, and fused ST-EIT). Model performance was rigorously evaluated via stratified 5-fold cross-validation, and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were employed to quantify global and local feature contributions. ResultsThe CP group exhibited a distinct respiratory phenotype compared to controls. In the temporal domain, CP patients showed significantly shorter inspiratory (1.60 s vs.1.85 s, P<0.001) and expiratory phase durations (2.45 s vs. 3.95 s, P<0.001), indicating a rapid, shallow breathing rhythm. In the airflow domain, while inspiratory flows were comparable, the CP group demonstrated significantly elevated mean and peak flows during the expiratory phase (P<0.001), reflecting compensatory respiratory effort. Spatially, CP patients presented significant ventilation redistribution, characterized by higher regional TIV in the right-anterior (ROI1) and left-posterior (ROI4) quadrants, but lower TIV in the left-anterior (ROI2) quadrant. In terms of diagnostic accuracy, the multi-modal ST-EIT model achieved the highest performance (AUC: 0.915±0.012, Accuracy: 0.843±0.019, F1-score: 0.872±0.017), substantially outperforming models based on spirometry (AUC: 0.721) or nasometry (AUC: 0.625) alone. Interpretability analysis revealed that spatial domain features were the most critical, contributing 53.4% to the model’s decision-making, followed by temporal (25.0%) and airflow (21.6%) features. ConclusionST-EIT successfully captures the temporal, airflow, and spatial deviations in CP speech respiration that are undetectable by conventional methods—specifically, rapid phase transitions, hyperdynamic expiratory airflow, and regional ventilation heterogeneity. This study validates ST-EIT as a robust, non-invasive, and radiation-free tool for characterizing speech-respiratory dysfunction, offering high clinical value for bedside screening, rehabilitation planning, and longitudinal monitoring of patients with cleft palate.
3.Effectiveness of the integrated schistosomiasis control programme in Sichuan Province from 2015 to 2023
Chen PU ; Yu ZHANG ; Jiajia WAN ; Nannan WANG ; Jingye SHANG ; Liang XU ; Ling CHEN ; Lin CHEN ; Zisong WU ; Bo ZHONG ; Yang LIU
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2025;37(3):284-288
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the integrated schistosomiasis control programme in Sichuan Province during the stage moving from transmission interruption to elimination (2015—2023), so as to provide insights into formulation of the schistosomiasis control measures during the post-elimination stage. Methods Schistosomiasis control data were retrospectively collected from departments of health, agriculture and rural affairs, forestry and grassland, water resources, and natural resources in Sichuan Province from 2015 to 2023, and a database was created to document examinations and treatments of human and livestock schistosomiasis, and snail survey and control, conversion of paddy fields to dry fields, ditch hardening, rivers and lakes management and building of forests for snail control and schistosomiasis prevention. The completion of schistosomiasis control measures was investigated, and the effectiveness was evaluated. Results A total of 20 545 155 person-times received human schistosomiasis examinations in Sichuan Province during the period from 2015 to 2023, and 232 157 person-times were seropositive, with a reduction in the seroprevalence from 2.10% (44 299/2 107 003) in 2015 to 1.12% (9 361/837 896) in 2023 (χ2 = 7.68, P < 0.001). The seroprevalence of human schistosomiasis appeared a tendency towards a decline in Sichuan Province over years from 2015 to 2023 (b = −8.375, t = −10.052, P < 0.001); however, no egg positive individuals were identified during the period from 2018 to 2023, with the prevalence of human Schistosoma japonicum infections maintained at 0. Expanded chemotherapy was administered to 2 754 515 person-times, and medical assistance of advanced schistosomiasis was given to 6 436 persontimes, with the treatment coverage increasing from 46.80% (827/1 767) in 2015 to 64.87% (868/1 338) in 2023. Parasitological tests for livestock schistosomiasis were performed in 35 113 herd-times, and expanded chemotherapy was administered to 513 043 herd-times, while the number of fenced livestock decreased from 121 631 in 2015 to 103 489 in 2023, with a reduction of 14.92%. Snail survey covered 433 621.80 hm2 in Sichuan Province from 2015 to 2023, with 204 602.81 hm2 treated by chemical control and 4 637.74 hm2 by environmental modifications. The area of snail habitats decreased from the peak of 5 029.80 hm2 in 2016 to 3 709.72 hm2 in 2023, and the actual area of snail habitats decreased from the peak of 8 585.48 hm2 in 2016 to 473.09 hm2 in 2023. The mean density of living snails remained low across the study period except in 2017 (0.62 snails/0.1 m2). Schistosomiasis control efforts by departments of agriculture and rural affairs in Sichuan Province included conversion of paddy fields to dry fields covering 153 346.93 hm2, hardening of 6 110.31 km ditches, building of 70 356 biogas digesters, replacement of cattle with 227 161 sets of machines, and captive breeding of 21 161 070 livestock from 2015 to 2023, and the control efforts by departments of water resources included rivers and lakes management measuring 5 676.92 km and renovation of 2 331 irrigation areas, while the control efforts by departments of forestry and grassland included building of forests for snail control and schistosomiasis prevention covering 23 913.33 hm2, renovation of snail control forests covering 8 720 hm2 and newly building of shelterbelts covering 764 686.67 hm2. All 63 endemic counties (cities and districts) had achieved the criterion for schistosomiasis elimination criteria in Sichuan Province by the end of 2023. Conclusion Following the integrated control efforts from 2015 to 2023, remarkable achievements have been obtained in the schistosomiasis control programme in Sichuan Province, with all endemic counties successfully attaining the schistosomiasis elimination target at the county level.
4.Effect of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress on Intestinal Mucosal Injury in Ulcerative Colitis and TCM Intervention Based on Theory of Sores Depending on Spleen-earth
Youwei XIAO ; Dongsheng WU ; Hui CAO ; Bo ZOU ; Yiqian YU ; Ruoru HUANG ; Qi CHENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(24):238-247
In recent years, as the incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) is growing, intestinal mucosal injury has garnered increasing attention, and it is characterized by high recurrence, risk of inflammation-cancer transformation, and difficulty in repair. Intestinal mucosal injury in UC is centered on persistent inflammation and barrier dysfunction, with its pathological mechanisms involving endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-mediated changes such as abnormal apoptosis, abnormal autophagy, and inflammatory responses. ERS induces apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells, disrupts tight junction proteins, and exacerbates inflammatory responses through pathways such as protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), inositol-requiring enzyme 1 alpha (IRE1α), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), ultimately causing intestinal mucosal injury. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of research on UC. The theory of sores depending on spleen-earth holds that spleen deficiency is the fundamental cause of UC, while pathological products such as dampness-turbidity and blood stasis are the secondary manifestations. Dysfunction of the spleen-earth leads to insufficient production and transformation of Qi and blood, malnutrition of the intestinal mucosa, and invasion of external pathogens. In the active phase of UC, spleen deficiency is often accompanied by excessive pathogenic factors such as dampness-heat and heat-toxin, leading to acute intestinal mucosal damage. In the remission phase, however, it is mainly characterized by spleen deficiency and healthy Qi deficiency, accompanied by residual pathogens, resulting in weak intestinal mucosal repair. Studies have shown that the endoplasmic reticulum, as a key site for protein synthesis and folding, has functions highly similar to the TCM concept of the spleen governing transportation and transformation. From a TCM perspective, the endoplasmic reticulum can be regarded as the carrier of spleen transportation, and ERS is a microcosmic manifestation of spleen dysfunction, leading to intestinal mucosal injury. ERS impairs the structure and function of the endoplasmic reticulum, induces the generation of abnormal Qi, and triggers pathological changes, making inflammation difficult to be reduced and causing the aggravation of ERS, forming a vicious cycle of spleen deficiency-pathological products-intestinal injury. TCM has unique advantages in regulating ERS to prevent and treat intestinal mucosal injury. According to the theory of sores depending on spleen-earth and the modern medical understanding of ERS, this paper delves into the TCM and Western medicine pathogenesis of intestinal mucosal injury in UC. Furthermore, this paper discusses the roles of TCM active components and compound formulas in reducing intestinal mucosal injury in UC by regulating ERS under the guidance of the treatment principles of invigorating the spleen and replenishing Qi as the key and dispelling dampness and removing blood stasis as the supplementation, aiming to provide new ideas and methods for the prevention and treatment of UC.
5.Cost-effectiveness of angiographic quantitative flow ratio-guided coronary intervention: A multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial.
Yanyan ZHAO ; Changdong GUAN ; Yang WANG ; Zening JIN ; Bo YU ; Guosheng FU ; Yundai CHEN ; Lijun GUO ; Xinkai QU ; Yaojun ZHANG ; Kefei DOU ; Yongjian WU ; Weixian YANG ; Shengxian TU ; Javier ESCANED ; William F FEARON ; Shubin QIAO ; David J COHEN ; Harlan M KRUMHOLZ ; Bo XU ; Lei SONG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(10):1186-1193
BACKGROUND:
The FAVOR (Comparison of Quantitative Flow Ratio Guided and Angiography Guided Percutaneous Intervention in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease) III China trial demonstrated that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) lesion selection using quantitative flow ratio (QFR) measurement, a novel angiography-based approach for estimating fractional flow reserve, improved two-year clinical outcomes compared with standard angiography guidance. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of QFR-guided PCI from the perspective of the current Chinese healthcare system.
METHODS:
This study is a pre-specified analysis of the FAVOR III China trial, which included 3825 patients randomized between December 25, 2018, and January 19, 2020, from 26 centers in China. Patients with stable or unstable angina pectoris or those ≥72 hours post-myocardial infarction who had at least one lesion with a diameter stenosis between 50% and 90% in a coronary artery with a ≥2.5 mm reference vessel diameter by visual assessment were randomized to a QFR-guided strategy or an angiography-guided strategy with 1:1 ratio. During the two-year follow-up, data were collected on clinical outcomes, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), estimated costs of index procedure hospitalization, outpatient cardiovascular medication use, and rehospitalization due to major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). The primary analysis calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) as the cost per MACCE avoided. An ICER of ¥10,000/MACCE event avoided was considered economically attractive in China.
RESULTS:
At two years, the QFR-guided group demonstrated a reduced rate of MACCE compared to the angiography-guided group (10.8% vs . 14.7%, P <0.01). Total two-year costs were similar between the groups (¥50,803 ± 21,121 vs . ¥50,685 ± 23,495, P = 0.87). The ICER for the QFR-guided strategy was ¥3055 per MACCE avoided, and the probability of QFR being economically attractive was 64% at a willingness-to-pay threshold of ¥10,000/MACCE avoided. Sensitivity analysis showed that QFR-guided PCI would become cost-saving if the cost of QFR were below ¥3682 (current cost: ¥3800). Cost-utility analysis yielded an ICER of ¥56,163 per QALY gained, with a 53% probability of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of ¥85,000 per QALY gained.
CONCLUSION:
In patients undergoing PCI, a QFR-guided strategy appears economically attractive compared to angiographic guidance from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03656848.
Humans
;
Cost-Benefit Analysis
;
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Coronary Angiography/methods*
;
Middle Aged
;
Aged
;
Coronary Artery Disease/surgery*
;
Quality-Adjusted Life Years
;
Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial/physiology*
6.SMUG1 promoted the progression of pancreatic cancer via AKT signaling pathway through binding with FOXQ1.
Zijian WU ; Wei WANG ; Jie HUA ; Jingyao ZHANG ; Jiang LIU ; Si SHI ; Bo ZHANG ; Xiaohui WANG ; Xianjun YU ; Jin XU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(20):2640-2656
BACKGROUND:
Pancreatic cancer is a lethal malignancy prone to gemcitabine resistance. The single-strand selective monofunctional uracil DNA glycosylase (SMUG1), which is responsible for initiating base excision repair, has been reported to predict the outcomes of different cancer types. However, the function of SMUG1 in pancreatic cancer is still unclear.
METHODS:
Gene and protein expression of SMUG1 as well as survival outcomes were assessed by bioinformatic analysis and verified in a cohort from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Subsequently, the effect of SMUG1 on proliferation, cell cycle, and migration abilities of SMUG1 cells were detected in vitro . DNA damage repair, apoptosis, and gemcitabine resistance were also tested. RNA sequencing was performed to determine the differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways, followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting verification. The cancer-promoting effect of forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) and SMUG1 on the ubiquitylation of myelocytomatosis oncogene (c-Myc) was also evaluated. Finally, a xenograft model was established to verify the results.
RESULTS:
SMUG1 was highly expressed in pancreatic tumor tissues and cells, which also predicted a poor prognosis. Downregulation of SMUG1 inhibited the proliferation, G1 to S transition, migration, and DNA damage repair ability against gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer cells. SMUG1 exerted its function by binding with FOXQ1 to activate the Protein Kinase B (AKT)/p21 and p27 pathway. Moreover, SMUG1 also stabilized the c-Myc protein via AKT signaling in pancreatic cancer cells.
CONCLUSIONS
SMUG1 promotes proliferation, migration, gemcitabine resistance, and c-Myc protein stability in pancreatic cancer via protein kinase B signaling through binding with FOXQ1. Furthermore, SMUG1 may be a new potential prognostic and gemcitabine resistance predictor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Humans
;
Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Forkhead Transcription Factors/genetics*
;
Signal Transduction/genetics*
;
Animals
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
;
Cell Proliferation/physiology*
;
Mice
;
Uracil-DNA Glycosidase/genetics*
;
Female
;
Male
;
Gemcitabine
;
Mice, Nude
;
Apoptosis/physiology*
;
Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives*
;
Cell Movement/genetics*
7.Molecular mechanism of programmed cell death in lung cancer and progress in traditional Chinese medicine intervention.
Cheng LUO ; Bo NING ; Xin-Yue ZHANG ; Yu-Zhi HUO ; Xin-Hui WU ; Yuan-Hang YE ; Fei WANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(3):632-643
Lung cancer is one of the most common and deadliest cancers globally, with its incidence and mortality rates rising each year. Therefore, finding new, safe, and effective alternative therapies poses a significant research challenge in this field. Programmed cell death refers to the process by which cells actively self-destruct in response to specific stimuli, regulated by genetic mechanisms. Modern research indicates that dysregulation of programmed cell death is widespread in the occurrence and progression of lung cancer, allowing cancer cells to evade death while continuing to proliferate and metastasize. Thus, inducing the death of lung cancer cells can be considered a novel therapeutic strategy for treating the disease. In recent years, research on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in the field of oncology has gained widespread attention, becoming a focal point. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that TCM can inhibit the progression of lung cancer and exert anti-cancer effects by inducing apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis. This paper provided a comprehensive review of the molecular mechanisms of programmed cell death in lung cancer, along with the potential mechanisms and research advancements related to the regulation of these processes by TCM, so as to establish a theoretical foundation and direction for future basic and clinical research on lung cancer.
Humans
;
Lung Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Apoptosis/drug effects*
;
Animals
;
Autophagy/drug effects*
8.UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with network pharmacology reveals effect and mechanism of Gentianella turkestanorum total extract in ameliorating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Wu DAI ; Dong-Xuan ZHENG ; Ruo-Yu GENG ; Li-Mei WEN ; Bo-Wei JU ; Qiang HOU ; Ya-Li GUO ; Xiang GAO ; Jun-Ping HU ; Jian-Hua YANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(7):1938-1948
This study aims to reveal the effect and mechanism of Gentianella turkestanorum total extract(GTI) in ameliorating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH). UPLC-Q-TOF-MS was employed to identify the chemical components in GTI. SwissTarget-Prediction, GeneCards, OMIM, and TTD were utilized to screen the targets of GTI components and NASH. The common targets shared by GTI components and NASH were filtered through the STRING database and Cytoscape 3.9.0 to identify core targets, followed by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. AutoDock was used for molecular docking of key components with core targets. A mouse model of NASH was established with a methionine-choline-deficient high-fat diet. A 4-week drug intervention was conducted, during which mouse weight was monitored, and the liver-to-brain ratio was measured at the end. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Sirius red staining, and oil red O staining were employed to observe the pathological changes in the liver tissue. The levels of various biomarkers, including aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), hydroxyproline(HYP), total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and glutathione(GSH), in the serum and liver tissue were determined. RT-qPCR was conducted to measure the mRNA levels of interleukin 1β(IL-1β), interleukin 6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), collagen type I α1 chain(COL1A1), and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA). Western blotting was conducted to determine the protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and potential drug targets identified through network pharmacology. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS identified 581 chemical components of GTI, and 534 targets of GTI and 1 157 targets of NASH were screened out. The topological analysis of the common targets shared by GTI and NASH identified core targets such as IL-1β, IL-6, protein kinase B(AKT), TNF, and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma(PPARG). GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the ameliorating effect of GTI on NASH was related to inflammatory responses and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT pathway. The staining results demonstrated that GTI ameliorated hepatocyte vacuolation, swelling, ballooning, and lipid accumulation in NASH mice. Compared with the model group, high doses of GTI reduced the AST, ALT, HYP, TC, and TG levels(P<0.01) while increasing the HDL-C, SOD, and GSH levels(P<0.01). RT-qPCR results showed that GTI down-regulated the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, COL1A1, and α-SMA(P<0.01). Western blot results indicated that GTI down-regulated the protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, phosphorylated PI3K(p-PI3K), phosphorylated AKT(p-AKT), phosphorylated inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B alpha(p-IκBα), and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)(P<0.01). In summary, GTI ameliorates inflammation, dyslipidemia, and oxidative stress associated with NASH by regulating the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals
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Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/genetics*
;
Mice
;
Network Pharmacology
;
Male
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
;
Liver/metabolism*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Humans
;
Mass Spectrometry
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
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Disease Models, Animal
;
Molecular Docking Simulation
9.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
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
;
Network Pharmacology
;
Humans
;
Kidney Failure, Chronic/metabolism*
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
China
10.Modified patellar triple surgery for early patellofemoral osteoarthritis.
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2025;38(5):517-524
OBJECTIVE:
To exploring the efficacy of modified patellar triple surgery (including arthroscopic lateral retinaculum release, modified medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, and modified Fulkerson osteotomy) in the treatment of early patellofemoral osteoarthritis.
METHODS:
A retrospective analysis was conducted on 57 patients with patellofemoral arthritis admitted from March 2018 to June 2022, including 22 males and 35 females;aged 22 to 45 years old, average (31.5±5.7) years old; disease course 2 to 8 years (3.7±2.2) years;19 on the left side and 38 on the right side. The tendon graft was taken from the long tendons of the ipsilateral tibia, and the lateral patellar support band release was performed arthroscopically, combined with modified medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction and modified Fulkerson osteotomy. The changes of Q angle, patellar tilt angle, tibial tuberosity-femoral trochlear groove (TT-TG) and Lysholm knee joint scores before and 12 months after surgery were compared.
RESULTS:
All patient incisions healed in stageⅠ, and 57 patients were followed up for 12 to 36 with an average of (22.1±2.5) months. The Q angle, patellar inclination angle, and TT-TG values improved from (22.7±1.9)°, (29.2±2.0)°, and (23.3±1.4) mm before surgery to (14.6±2.2)°, (7.6±3.2)°, and (11.8±1.7) mm one year after surgery, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). The Lysholm score increased from preoperative (65.1±8.7) to postoperative (86.8±7.2) at 1 year (P<0.05), with 41 cases being excellent, 15 cases being good, and 1 case being average.
CONCLUSION
The improvement of medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction and lateral retinaculum release can correct the Q angle in early patellofemoral osteoarthritis, while the improvement of Fulkerson osteotomy can correct the TT-TG value, elevate the patella, relieve pressure on the patellofemoral joint, and alleviate anterior knee pain. The clinical efficacy is definite, providing ideas for the clinical treatment of patellofemoral osteoarthritis.
Humans
;
Male
;
Female
;
Adult
;
Middle Aged
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery*
;
Patellofemoral Joint/surgery*
;
Patella/surgery*
;
Young Adult
;
Osteotomy
;
Arthroscopy

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