1.Investigation on influencing factors of TCM constitutions among female medical workers in a tertiary TCM Hospital
Xiaoqing CAI ; Yan LI ; Xiaochun CUI ; Xinyi LIU ; Xujie WANG ; Huidong ZHU ; Xiupeng YANG
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(10):1384-1390
Objective:To explore the impact of lifestyle on TCM constitutions among female medical workers at Xiyuan Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine using questionnaires; To provide references for optimizing their health management.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 500 female medical workers were randomly selected from Xiyuan Hospital from April to December 2022 to complete the questionnaires. The relationship between lifestyle and constitutions of female medical workers was analyzed.Results:A total of 457 cases completed the questionnaires. Among the 9 constitutions, 102 people (22.32%) had a peaceful constitution, while 355 people (77.68%) had a biased constitution; the top three biased constitutions were qi stagnation constitution 90 people (19.69%), yang deficiency constitution 83 people (18.16%), and phlegm-dampness constitution 56 people (12.25%). The factors that influenced physical constitutions according to the severity of lifestyle were: sleep, diet, mood, exercise, labor, environment, children, and education.Conclusions:Female medical workers have a high proportion of biased constitution, and the main types of biased constitution are qi stagnation constitution, yang deficiency constitution, and phlegm-dampness constitution. According to the existing biased constitution, targeted adjustments and interventions are carried out, and it is of great significance to protect and care for the health of female medical workers from the concept of preventive treatment of diseases with TCM.
2.ESM1 regulates the cell apoptosis and angiogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells through DLL4/Notch 1 pathway
Zhao LI ; Xia ZHAO ; Xiaoqing CAI
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2025;41(5):617-622
Objective:To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of endothelial cell-specific molecule 1(ESM1)on ap-optosis and angiogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)cells.Methods:The GEO database was used to investigate the expression of ESM1 in OSCC tissue.The expression of ESM1 in OSCC cell lines of Ca127,SCC9 and Tca8113 was detected via qRT-PCR and Western blot.Tca8113 cells were grouped and transfected with various plasmid vectors.Cell apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry,while the tube formation assay was used to determine angiogenesis.Western blot was conducted to examine the levels of delta-like 4(DLL4),notch intracellular domain(NICD),hairy and enhancer of split 1(Hes1)and c-Myc.The interaction be-tween ESM1 and DLL4 was verified by co-immunoprecipitation experiments.Results:GEO database analysis showed that ESM1 was up-regulated in OSCC tissue by the datasets of GSE31056 and GSE30784,and ESM1 was also overexpressed in the OSCC cell lines.Compared with Tca8113 cells transfected with negative control siRNA,the apoptosis rate of cells transfected with siESM1 was signifi-cantly increased(11.9%±0.20%)vs(1.56%±0.20%),while the tube formation was significantly reduced.The expression of DLL4,NICD,Hes1 and c-Myc was significantly inhibited after knockdown of ESM1.Co-immunoprecipitation experiments showed that ESM1 interacted with DLL4.ESM1 knockdown and DLL4 overexpression could reverse the effects of ESM1 knockdown on apop-tosis and inhibites angiogenesis,specifically manifested by a significant increase in the expression of DLL4 and NICD,a significant decrease in cell apoptosis rate,and a significant increase in tube formation.Conclusion:ESM1 promotes the apoptosis and inhibites angiogenesis of OSCC cells by activating the DLL4/Notch1 pathway.
3.ESM1 regulates the cell apoptosis and angiogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells through DLL4/Notch 1 pathway
Zhao LI ; Xia ZHAO ; Xiaoqing CAI
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2025;41(5):617-622
Objective:To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of endothelial cell-specific molecule 1(ESM1)on ap-optosis and angiogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)cells.Methods:The GEO database was used to investigate the expression of ESM1 in OSCC tissue.The expression of ESM1 in OSCC cell lines of Ca127,SCC9 and Tca8113 was detected via qRT-PCR and Western blot.Tca8113 cells were grouped and transfected with various plasmid vectors.Cell apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry,while the tube formation assay was used to determine angiogenesis.Western blot was conducted to examine the levels of delta-like 4(DLL4),notch intracellular domain(NICD),hairy and enhancer of split 1(Hes1)and c-Myc.The interaction be-tween ESM1 and DLL4 was verified by co-immunoprecipitation experiments.Results:GEO database analysis showed that ESM1 was up-regulated in OSCC tissue by the datasets of GSE31056 and GSE30784,and ESM1 was also overexpressed in the OSCC cell lines.Compared with Tca8113 cells transfected with negative control siRNA,the apoptosis rate of cells transfected with siESM1 was signifi-cantly increased(11.9%±0.20%)vs(1.56%±0.20%),while the tube formation was significantly reduced.The expression of DLL4,NICD,Hes1 and c-Myc was significantly inhibited after knockdown of ESM1.Co-immunoprecipitation experiments showed that ESM1 interacted with DLL4.ESM1 knockdown and DLL4 overexpression could reverse the effects of ESM1 knockdown on apop-tosis and inhibites angiogenesis,specifically manifested by a significant increase in the expression of DLL4 and NICD,a significant decrease in cell apoptosis rate,and a significant increase in tube formation.Conclusion:ESM1 promotes the apoptosis and inhibites angiogenesis of OSCC cells by activating the DLL4/Notch1 pathway.
4.Approaches in vascularization of tissue-engineered bone and their research progress
Yulei WANG ; Jingyuan LI ; Nengqi SHAO ; Wenhao XU ; Fanzhe FENG ; Zhijun CAI ; Zhongzheng YU ; Xiaoqing HE ; Yongqing XU ; Yi CUI
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma 2024;26(10):915-920
Tissue engineering bone technology, grounded in seed cells, cytokines, and scaffold supports, provides an effective solution for addressing extensive bone defects, demonstrating significant potentials in the field of bone repair. However, this technology still faces numerous challenges. Focusing on vascularization in engineered bones, this article reviews various methods to enhance vascularization within tissue-engineered bones, including multicellular co-culture, application of angiogenic factors, advanced 3D printing, and aid of surgical interventions. This article also analyses the latest research developments and the limitations of the methods, and speculates future research directions for tissue engineered bone.
5.Free flap combined with super Flow-through technique in replantation of multiple amputated digits in one hand with destructive palm injury: a case report
Teng WANG ; Haiyang ZONG ; Xinyu FAN ; Xiaoqing HE ; Xingbo CAI ; Liming LYU ; Yongqing XU
Chinese Journal of Microsurgery 2024;47(6):690-694
A 19-year old male patient with multiple traumatic amputations of all digits and destructive injury in one hand caused by a cement mixer was admitted in the Department of Orthopaedics, 920 Hospital, Joint Logistics Support Force, in February 2017. In the emergency surgery, the severed thumb and a bundle of severed index, middle and ring fingers were successfully replanted using super Flow-through technique with transfer of a free anterolateral thigh perforator flap (ALTPF). The little finger was abandoned. The donor site of the flaps were sutured directly. In stage II surgery, bilateral metatarsal tendon transfer and right sural nerve transfer were performed to rebuild the motor and sensory functions of the replanted digits. At 2 years of postoperative follow-up, the texture of the replanted 1st-4th digits and transferred flap in right hand was soft without rupture, and the sensation was restored to S 2+. Some digital flexion and extension were restored, which enable the patient to fulfil the most essential requirement in daily life. According to the Evaluation Standard of Upper Limb Functional of Hand Surgery of Chinese Medical Association, the functional recovery was fear. Only a linear scar remained at the donor site of thigh.
6.Digital reconstruction technology in virtual planning of free perforator flap of anterior tibial artery for reconstruction of soft tissue defects in foot and ankle
Yan SHI ; Yongqing XU ; Teng WANG ; Xi YANG ; Yi CUI ; Hao XIA ; Te CAI ; Xingcheng DAI ; Xuebiao YANG ; Xiaoqing HE
Chinese Journal of Microsurgery 2024;47(6):630-634
Objective:To investigate the feasibility of digital reconstruction technology in virtual planning of the free perforator flap of anterior tibial artery (ATA) for reconstruction of soft tissue defects in foot and ankle.Methods:From May 2018 to April 2023, 10 patients, including 7 males and 3 females, with foot or ankle defects were admitted in the Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force. There were 5 defects in dorsal foot, 3 in plantar foot and 2 in medial malleolus. The sizes of defects ranged from 3.0 cm×2.5 cm to 5.5 cm×4.0 cm, all with exposed bones or tendons. Preoperative CTA scans from aorta abdominalis to feet were performed, and 3D digital models of bones, arteries and skin were reconstructed with Mimics. The most suitable perforators were selected to design the perforator flaps of ATA with the software, then the digital virtual flaps were superimposed onto the surfaces of donor sites and marked under a translucent image by Sina. During the surgery, flaps were harvested according to preoperative digital designs with the size of 3.5 cm×3.0 cm-6.0 cm×4.0 cm. The perforating branches were dissected along the way, and the origin, diameter, course, location and length of the perforators were recorded. The perforating branches of the flaps were anastomosed to the proximal vessels in the recipient sites, and the flaps were sutured to cover the wound. For the 10 donor sites, skin graft was used in 2 donor sites and direct suture were performed on 8 donor sites. After discharge of the patients, scheduled outpatient or online follow-ups were carried out to assess the progress of fracture healing as well as the appearance, texture and colour of flaps, and the recovery of donor sites. Ankle function was evaluated by Maryland foot scoring system.Results:Three-dimensional digital reconstructions of donor sites were successfully performed on all patients, enabling successful design and harvest of the free perforator flaps of ATA. The flaps were able to be used in complete reconstruction of the respective defects and made the anatomical parameters of perforators of the donor sites closely matching with those of preoperative modeling. Follow-up periods ranged from 6 to 19 months, apart from 1 flap experienced partial necrosis at distal endge, and another flap with partial exfoliation after blistering. The rest of 8 flaps were all survived smoothly, with appropriate thickness, aesthetic appearance, good texture and colour. Sensations in both donor sites and dorsal feet were all normal. Seven patients achieved excellent and 3 were good according to Maryland's ankle-foot function score. The donor sites healed well without scar hyperplasia.Conclusion:Digital reconstruction technology enables an accurate identification of perforators as well as individualised design and harvest procedures for perforator flaps of ATA, thereby it facilitates precise reconstructions of small-to-medium-sized defects in foot or ankle. It is a good method for vascular anatomy and flap harvesting.
7.Epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus among acute respiratory infection cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023
Aili CUI ; Baicheng XIA ; Zhen ZHU ; Zhibo XIE ; Liwei SUN ; Jin XU ; Jing XU ; Zhong LI ; Linqing ZHAO ; Xiaoru LONG ; Deshan YU ; Bing ZHU ; Feng ZHANG ; Min MU ; Hui XIE ; Liang CAI ; Yun ZHU ; Xiaoling TIAN ; Bing WANG ; Zhenguo GAO ; Xiaoqing LIU ; Binzhi REN ; Guangyue HAN ; Kongxin HU ; Yan ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;58(7):945-951
Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) among acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023.Methods:The data of this study were collected from the ARI surveillance data from 16 provinces in China from 2009 to 2023, with a total of 28 278 ARI cases included in the study. The clinical specimens from ARI cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid from 2009 to 2023, and differences in virus detection rates among cases of different age groups, regions, and months were analyzed.Results:A total of 28 278 ARI cases were enrolled from January 2009 to September 2023. The age of the cases ranged from<1 month to 112 years, and the age M ( Q1, Q3) was 3 years (1 year, 9 years). Among them, 3 062 cases were positive for HRSV nucleic acid, with a total detection rate of 10.83%. From 2009 to 2019, the detection rate of HRSV was 9.33%, and the virus was mainly prevalent in winter and spring. During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the detection rate of HRSV fluctuated between 6.32% and 18.67%. There was no traditional winter epidemic peak of HRSV from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, and an anti-seasonal epidemic of HRSV occurred from April to May 2023. About 87.95% (2 693/3 062) of positive cases were children under 5 years old, and the difference in the detection rate of HRSV among different age groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001), showing a decreasing trend of HRSV detection rate with the increase of age ( P<0.001). Among them, the HRSV detection rate (25.69%) was highest in children under 6 months. Compared with 2009-2019, the ranking of HRSV detection rates in different age groups changed from high to low between 2020 and 2023, with the age M (Q1, Q3) of HRSV positive cases increasing from 1 year (6 months, 3 years) to 2 years (11 months, 3 years). Conclusion:Through 15 years of continuous HRSV surveillance analysis, children under 5 years old, especially infants under 6 months old, are the main high-risk population for HRSV infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence and patterns of HRSV in China have changed.
8.Effects of traditional Chinese medicine on treatment outcomes in severe COVID-19 patients: a single-centre study.
Yongjiu XIAO ; Binbin LI ; Chang LIU ; Xiuyu HUANG ; Ling MA ; Zhirong QIAN ; Xiaopeng ZHANG ; Qian ZHANG ; Dunqing LI ; Xiaoqing CAI ; Xiangyong YAN ; Shuping LUO ; Dawei XIANG ; Kun XIAO
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2024;22(1):89-96
As the search for effective treatments for COVID-19 continues, the high mortality rate among critically ill patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) presents a profound challenge. This study explores the potential benefits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a supplementary treatment for severe COVID-19. A total of 110 critically ill COVID-19 patients at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vulcan Hill Hospital between Feb., 2020, and April, 2020 (Wuhan, China) participated in this observational study. All patients received standard supportive care protocols, with a subset of 81 also receiving TCM as an adjunct treatment. Clinical characteristics during the treatment period and the clinical outcome of each patient were closely monitored and analysed. Our findings indicated that the TCM group exhibited a significantly lower mortality rate compared with the non-TCM group (16 of 81 vs 24 of 29; 0.3 vs 2.3 person/month). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, TCM treatment was associated with improved survival odds (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed that TCM treatment could partially mitigate inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and contribute to the recovery of multiple organic functions, thereby potentially increasing the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Humans
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COVID-19
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
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SARS-CoV-2
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Critical Illness
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Treatment Outcome
9.Prediction and validation of potential targets for the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease
Weina HAN ; Xiaoqing XU ; Jinning SHI ; Xinru LI ; Hongyan CAI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(16):2568-2573
BACKGROUND:In the process of exploring the mechanism of Alzheimer's disease,the important role of bioinformatics for common target screening has been revealed,enabling the use of its screening results as a basis for exploring the therapeutic effects of drugs on the disease. OBJECTIVE:To predict the targets of liraglutide,a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist,in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease by bioinformatics and molecular biology. METHODS:DisGeNET database and SEA database were used to obtain the common genes of Alzheimer's disease and liraglutide.GO/KEGG enrichment analysis of common targets was conducted using DAVID online database.Protein-protein interaction networks were constructed using STRING database.The optimal dosage of liraglutide was determined using cell counting kit-8 assay.Expression of key proteins was analyzed using immunofluorescence and immunoblotting techniques.The mouse hippocampal neuron HT22 cell line was used for ex vivo experiments,and the cells were randomly divided into three groups:HT22 group,HT22+Aβ group,and HT22+Aβ+Lir group.No special treatment was done in the HT22 group,while Aβ1-42 was used to intervene in the HT22 cell line for 24 hours to construct an Aβ injury cell model in the HT22+Aβ group.In additional to modeling,liraglutide was added to the HT22+Aβ+Lir group for 12 hours. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 3 333 genes associated with Alzheimer's disease were screened from DisGeNET database.Then 147 potential targets of liraglutide were obtained from SEA database.Finally,64 common targets of Alzheimer's disease and Liraglutide were determined using R packets.GO/KEGG analysis of common targets using DAVID online database suggested that common targets were mainly enriched in the following biological processes:neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,renin-angiotensin system,bladder cancer,endopeptidase activity,peptide receptor activity,G protein-coupled peptide receptor activity,and transport vesicles.The obtained 64 common target proteins were imported into SRTING online database for protein-protein interaction network construction,and the top three genes,matrix metalloproteinases 2,9 and interleukin 1β,were obtained.The activity of cultured cells was detected by the cell counting kit-8 kit.Liraglutide at 100 nmol/L was the optimal concentration for antagonizing Aβ1-42.In the western blot and immunofluorescence assays,the expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2,9 and interleukin 1β was significantly increased in the HT22+Aβ group compared with the HT22 group(P<0.05)but significantly decreased in the HT22+Aβ+Lir group compared with the HT22+Aβ group(P<0.05).To conclude,the above bioinformatics data and secondary validation of differential genes in the GEO database suggest that both matrix metalloproteinases 2,9 and interleukin 1β could be potential targets of liraglutide in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
10.Mechanism of Small Molecules of Traditional Chinese Medicine Targeting Tumor-associated Macrophages in Gastrointestinal Tumors: A Review
Yumeng CAI ; Xiaoqing ZHANG ; Gelei ZHAO ; Shan ZHANG ; Peimin LIU ; Dongdong LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(21):271-278
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), as the main immune cells in the human body, are key factors in maintaining the homeostasis of the tumor microenvironment. With high plasticity, they can polarize into the classically activated (M1) macrophages or alternatively activated (M2) macrophages under different conditions. M1 macrophages can inhibit tumor growth by phagocytosis, and M2 can inhibit the immune microenvironment to promote tumorigenesis and immune escape. Small molecules of traditional Chinese medicine have been widely studied in gastrointestinal tumors. These small molecules exert anti-tumor activity by enhancing TAM activity and promoting the polarization of macrophages. Targeted intervention in TAMs with these molecules has the potential to inhibit the development of gastrointestinal tumors. This article summarizes the research status and significance of small molecules of traditional Chinese medicine targeting TAMs against gastrointestinal tumors, aiming to provide reference for the future studies in this field.

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