1.Potential Toxicity of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Its Scientific Regulation
Ting WANG ; Can TU ; Lin ZHANG ; Zhaojuan GUO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):1-9
In recent years, with the extensive application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) both domestically and internationally, safety concerns associated with TCM have been frequently reported. Notably, some TCM substances traditionally regarded as ''non-toxic'' have exhibited significant adverse reactions during clinical use, drawing substantial attention to TCM safety. This study first analyzed the risk factors contributing to the potential toxicity of TCM from perspectives such as drug properties, individual constitution, and clinical medication practices. Subsequently, it proposed research strategies and methodologies for investigating potential TCM toxicity: ① conduct studies under the guidance of TCM theory, adhering to the principle of diversity and unity. ② adopt an integrated research paradigm of ''originating from clinical practice-syndrome-based foundation-returning to clinical practice-serving supervision''. ③ implement a three-tier technical system of ''Mathematical modeling-high-throughput screening via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-systems biology'' to systematically elucidate the causes, material basis, and mechanisms of toxicity. Finally, scientific regulatory recommendations for potential TCM toxicity are proposed: ① establish a multidimensional prevention and control system addressing drug properties, physical constitution factors, and clinical medication practices. ② address the impact of modern processing techniques on the safety of new TCM drugs. ③ strengthen the revision of standards for Chinese medicinal materials to ensure their safety. ④ account for disease-syndrome combination animal models and interspecies differences in safety assessment outcomes. This study aims to overcome critical challenges in TCM regulation by advancing evaluation through research and driving research through evaluation. By establishing a high-level scientific regulatory framework, it seeks to not only safeguard clinical medication safety but also propel the high-quality development of the TCM industry, thereby providing scientific support for the inheritance and innovative evolution of TCM.
2.Potential Toxicity of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Its Scientific Regulation
Ting WANG ; Can TU ; Lin ZHANG ; Zhaojuan GUO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):1-9
In recent years, with the extensive application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) both domestically and internationally, safety concerns associated with TCM have been frequently reported. Notably, some TCM substances traditionally regarded as ''non-toxic'' have exhibited significant adverse reactions during clinical use, drawing substantial attention to TCM safety. This study first analyzed the risk factors contributing to the potential toxicity of TCM from perspectives such as drug properties, individual constitution, and clinical medication practices. Subsequently, it proposed research strategies and methodologies for investigating potential TCM toxicity: ① conduct studies under the guidance of TCM theory, adhering to the principle of diversity and unity. ② adopt an integrated research paradigm of ''originating from clinical practice-syndrome-based foundation-returning to clinical practice-serving supervision''. ③ implement a three-tier technical system of ''Mathematical modeling-high-throughput screening via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-systems biology'' to systematically elucidate the causes, material basis, and mechanisms of toxicity. Finally, scientific regulatory recommendations for potential TCM toxicity are proposed: ① establish a multidimensional prevention and control system addressing drug properties, physical constitution factors, and clinical medication practices. ② address the impact of modern processing techniques on the safety of new TCM drugs. ③ strengthen the revision of standards for Chinese medicinal materials to ensure their safety. ④ account for disease-syndrome combination animal models and interspecies differences in safety assessment outcomes. This study aims to overcome critical challenges in TCM regulation by advancing evaluation through research and driving research through evaluation. By establishing a high-level scientific regulatory framework, it seeks to not only safeguard clinical medication safety but also propel the high-quality development of the TCM industry, thereby providing scientific support for the inheritance and innovative evolution of TCM.
3.Association of life skills and psychological resilience with subjective well-being among primary and secondary school students
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(7):962-965
Objective:
To explore the relationship between life skills, psychological resilience and subjective well-being among primary and secondary school students, so as to provide evidence for targeted adolescent mental health education.
Methods:
From September to November, 2025, a total of 5 831 primary and secondary school students from five cities (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Urumqi) were selected by convenience sampling. The Adolescent Subjective Well being Scale, School based Adolescents Life Skills Scale, and Adolescent Psychological Resilience Scale were used for investigation. Data were analyzed using t-tests, one way ANOVA, and linear regression.
Results:
The total mean score of students subjective well being was (5.46± 0.91) ; the total mean score of life skills was (3.69±0.64); the total mean score of psychological resilience was (3.66±0.69). Statistically significant differences in subjective well being scores were found among students grouped by gender, grade, school stage, residential city, living with parents or living with siblings ( t/F =4.14, 53.92, 14.53, 49.99, 13.49, 2.18, all P <0.01). Stratified regression analyses were performed by gender (adjusting for school stage, residential city and living arrangement) and by school stage (adjusting for gender, residential city and living arrangement), the regression results indicated that life skills of boys, girls, primary school students and junior high school students( β =0.54, 0.53, 0.50, 0.57) and their psychological resilience ( β = 0.56 , 0.60, 0.56, 0.60) were positively associated with subjective well being (all P <0.01).
Conclusions
Life skills and psychological resilience may be important protective factors for subjective well being among primary and secondary school students. School based mental health education should emphasize life skills training and resilience building to promote students subjective well being.
4.Effect of family cohesion and adaptability on suicide risk in adolescent inpatients with depression: the mediating role of depressive symptoms and the moderating role of resilience
Can KE ; Guo CHEN ; Jie ZHANG ; Min YU
Sichuan Mental Health 2026;39(4):337-344
BackgroundSuicide is the second leading cause of death in adolescents. Patients with depression have a high risk of suicide, and family dysfunction is an important contributing factor of suicide. However, the mechanisms among these variables remain unclear. ObjectiveTo explore the influence of family cohesion and adaptability on the risk of suicide in adolescent inpatients with depression, and the mediating effect of depressive symptoms and the moderating effect of resilience, so as to provide references for suicide prevention and intervention. MethodsA total of 335 adolescent inpatients with depression were consecutively enrolled from October 2024 to August 2025 in a tertiary Grade A psychiatric hospital in Guangzhou. All participants met the diagnostic criteria for depression in the International Classification of Diseases, tenth edition (ICD-10). They were assessed using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale Ⅱ-Chinese Version (FACES Ⅱ-CV), the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) and the suicide module of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). A comprehensive suicide risk index was constructed. Model 4 and model 7 in the SPSS macro program Process 4.1 were used to test the mediating effect and the moderating effect, respectively. ResultsCorrelation analysis revealed that the SDS score was positively correlated with the composite suicide risk index (rs=0.663, P<0.01) but negatively correlated with the family cohesion and adaptability dimensions scores of the FACES II-CV and the CD-RISC score (rs=-0.448, -0.386, -0.576, P<0.01). Depressive symptoms fully mediated the association between family cohesion and suicide risk, with an indirect effect of -0.491 (95% CI: -0.646–-0.352), accounting for 89.76% of the total effect. Depressive symptoms also fully mediated the association between family adaptability and suicide risk, with an indirect effect of -0.442 (95% CI: -0.603–-0.293), accounting for 89.11% of the total effect. Resilience significantly moderated the effect of family cohesion on depressive symptoms (β=-0.006, P<0.01) and the effect of family adaptability on depressive symptoms (β=-0.007, P<0.05). ConclusionIn adolescent inpatients with depression, depressive symptoms may play a fully mediating role in the relationships between family cohesion/family adaptability and suicide risk, respectively, and resilience moderated the first stage of this mediating pathway. [Funded by Guangzhou Science and Technology Plan Project (number, 2024A03J0299)]
5.Status of subjective well-being among primary and secondary school students and its association with parental well being
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(9):1229-1233
Objective:
To explore the association between parental subjective well-being and subjective well-being among primary and secondary school students, so as to provide evidence for promoting adolescent mental health from a family perspective.
Methods:
From September to November 2025, a convenience sampling method was used to recruit 4 612 students in grades 4-8 from 12 primary and secondary schools in five cities—Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Urumqi—along with their parents. Students completed the Adolescent Well being Survey Questionnaire, while parents completed the Parental Well being Survey Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using t-test, one way analysis of variance, multiple linear regression, Logistic regression, and stratified subgroup analyses.
Results:
The maximum score of the subjective well-being scale for primary and secondary school students was 301, with a total score of (224.07±46.63), representing 74.4% of the full score; the maximum score of the parental subjective well-being scale was 120, with a total score of (92.35±15.10), representing 77.0%. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that parental subjective well-being was positively associated with students overall subjective well-being, positive affect, and satisfaction in each domain (friendship, family, school, environment, freedom, and academics), and negatively associated with negative affect ( β =0.45, 0.08, 0.06, 0.07, 0.05, 0.04, 0.05, 0.04, -0.05, all P <0.01). Logistic regression and stratified analysis showed that parental subjective well-being was positively associated with students high subjective well-being ( OR =1.03), and the association existed in subgroups of different gender, grade and family structure ( OR =1.02-1.04) (all P <0.05).
Conclusions
Parental subjective well-being is positively associated with students subjective well-being. Future interventions should incorporate an integrated strategy featuring family-school collaboration to promote adolescent well-being.
6.Role and mechanism of dexmedetomidine in regulating bone metabolism in tail-suspended osteoporotic rats
Yunliang GUO ; Can WANG ; Xinyu ZHANG ; Zedong YAN ; Zhipeng WEN ; Ruobing LIU ; Pengsen LIU
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(3):226-233
Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine(Dex)on bone loss in tail-suspended rats and primarily explore its regulatory mechanism on bone metabolism.Methods A total of 30 male rats were randomly divided into a control group,a model group,and a Dex group,with 10 animals in each group.Rat model of osteoporosis was established by hind limb suspension for 4 weeks.Dex at a dose of 10 μg/kg was given intraperitoneally,once every other day from the day of tail suspension.And equal amount of normal saline was given to the control and model group.Bone histological staining was used to observe the trabecular bone area fraction.Biomechanical three-point bending test was employed to measure the maximum load,stiffness,and fracture energy.Dual calcein/alizarin red fluorescence labeling and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP)staining were applied respectively to detect the mineral apposition rate and bone formation rate as well as the number of osteoclasts on bone surfaces.Secondly,after primary osteoblasts were isolated from the tibiae of tail-suspended rats and then treated with 1 nmol/L Dex,the proportion of alkaline phosphatase(ALP)-positive osteoblasts and the activity of the enzyme were detected by ALP staining and activity test.qRT-PCR was applied to measure the expression of osteogenic activity-related factors,including osteocalcin(Ocn),Runt related transcription factor 2(Runx2),Osterix protein(Osx),and type 1 collagen(Col1).Results The animal experiments revealed that Dex treatment significantly increased the tibial trabecular bone area fraction,inhibited the decrease in bone mechanical strength,and enhanced the mineralization deposition rate and new bone formation rate of trabecular bone in the tail-suspended rats(all P<0.001).The in vitro experiments showed that Dex treatment obviously improved ALP activity and the number of ALP-positive osteoblasts in primary osteoblasts isolated from tail-suspended rats(P<0.01),and up-regulated the expression levels of osteogenic differentiation-related genes,such as Ocn,Runx2,Osx and Col1(P<0.01).Conclusion Dex exerts anti-bone loss effect in tail-suspended rats,which may be associated with its stimulation on osteoblast-mediated bone formation.
7.Prefabricated Nano Carbon-Platinum Composite Matrix for Surface-assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Small Molecular Components in Plant Tissues
Fan YANG ; Yu-Lin SHEN ; Can GONG ; Zhao-Xin LIU ; Qiang-Sheng GUO ; Xu XU
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(2):204-213,中插1-中插2
Compared with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry(MALDI-MS)using organic small molecule matrix,surface-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry(SALDI-MS)based on nanomaterial matrix is more effective in analysis of small molecule compounds.Ion sputtering instruments have obvious advantages for applying inorganic nanomatrix.In this work,the carbon-platinum material was sputtered onto a glass cover slip using an ion sputtering instrument to form a carbon-platinum(C-Pt)composite nanomatrix,and an SALDI-MS analytical method was thus established based on the prefabricated C-Pt composite matrix.The experimental results showed that the C-Pt composite nanomatrix could significantly improve the signal intensity and signal-to-noise ratio of the mass spectrum peaks of the components to be measured.The ratio of carbon to platinum,the duration of ion sputtering,and the laser power in mass spectrometer were investigated to select the optimal C-Pt matrix prefabricated conditions and SALDI-MS experimental conditions.Using the prefabricated C-Pt composite matrix,the melittriose and daidzein sample solution were applied as sample to examine repeatability.The results showed that the intra-point repeatability(RSD)was≤4.8%and the inter-point repeatability(RSD)was≤6.4%.The quercetin and melitriose were applied as model samples,and a linearity between MS peak intensity and respective concentration in the range of 0.05-1.0 mg/mL was found,with linear correlation coefficients(R2)greater than 0.994,showing good potential for quantitative and imaging analysis.Then,the prefabricated C-Pt composite matrix was applied to SALDI-MS analysis of the 50%ethanol extract of soybean,and 15 kinds of compounds including oligosaccharides and triglycerides were identified from the mass spectra.Furthermore,the C-Pt matrix was employed in SALDI-MS imaging for the compositions in corn tissue section,and the results showed that diglycerides and triglycerides were mainly distributed in the corn embryo and around the embryo,and the distribution of oligosaccharides was relatively even.
8.NAT10 inhibition alleviates astrocyte autophagy by impeding ac4C acetylation of Timp1 mRNA in ischemic stroke.
Li YANG ; Xiaotong LI ; Yaxuan ZHAO ; Hao CHEN ; Can WANG ; Angrong WU ; Xintong GUO ; Yue HUANG ; Qihui WANG ; Lingyun HAO ; Xiaowen LI ; Ying JI ; Jin BAN ; Guangtian WANG ; Junli CAO ; Zhiqiang PAN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(5):2575-2592
Although a single nucleotide polymorphism for N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) has been identified in patients with early-onset stroke, the role of NAT10 in ischemic injury and the related underlying mechanisms remains elusive. Here, we provide evidence that NAT10, the only known RNA N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification "writer", is increased in the damaged cortex of patients with acute ischemic stroke and the peri-infarct cortex of mice subjected to photothrombotic (PT) stroke. Pharmacological inhibition of NAT10 with remodelin on Days 3-7 post-stroke or astrocytic depletion of NAT10 via targeted virus attenuates ischemia-induced infarction and improves functional recovery in PT mice. Mechanistically, NAT10 enhances ac4C acetylation of the inflammatory cytokine tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (Timp1) mRNA transcript, which increases TIMP1 expression and results in the accumulation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and progression of astrocyte autophagy. These findings demonstrate that NAT10 regulates astrocyte autophagy by targeting Timp1 ac4C after stroke. This study highlights the critical role of ac4C in the regulation of astrocyte autophagy and proposes a promising strategy to improve post-stroke outcomes via NAT10 inhibition.
9.Laboratory Diagnosis and Molecular Epidemiological Characterization of the First Imported Case of Lassa Fever in China.
Yu Liang FENG ; Wei LI ; Ming Feng JIANG ; Hong Rong ZHONG ; Wei WU ; Lyu Bo TIAN ; Guo CHEN ; Zhen Hua CHEN ; Can LUO ; Rong Mei YUAN ; Xing Yu ZHOU ; Jian Dong LI ; Xiao Rong YANG ; Ming PAN
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(3):279-289
OBJECTIVE:
This study reports the first imported case of Lassa fever (LF) in China. Laboratory detection and molecular epidemiological analysis of the Lassa virus (LASV) from this case offer valuable insights for the prevention and control of LF.
METHODS:
Samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood, urine, saliva, and environmental materials were collected from the patient and their close contacts for LASV nucleotide detection. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on positive samples to analyze the genetic characteristics of the virus.
RESULTS:
LASV was detected in the patient's CSF, blood, and urine, while all samples from close contacts and the environment tested negative. The virus belongs to the lineage IV strain and shares the highest homology with strains from Sierra Leone. The variability in the glycoprotein complex (GPC) among different strains ranged from 3.9% to 15.1%, higher than previously reported for the seven known lineages. Amino acid mutation analysis revealed multiple mutations within the GPC immunogenic epitopes, increasing strain diversity and potentially impacting immune response.
CONCLUSION
The case was confirmed through nucleotide detection, with no evidence of secondary transmission or viral spread. The LASV strain identified belongs to lineage IV, with broader GPC variability than previously reported. Mutations in the immune-related sites of GPC may affect immune responses, necessitating heightened vigilance regarding the virus.
Humans
;
China/epidemiology*
;
Genome, Viral
;
Lassa Fever/virology*
;
Lassa virus/classification*
;
Molecular Epidemiology
;
Phylogeny
10.Epidemic Evolution Trends and Spatiotemporal Clustering of Human Brucellosis in Xilingol League Inner Mongolia, from 2004 to 2023.
Zhi Guo LIU ; Miao WANG ; Hao TANG ; Chui Zhao XUE ; Zhen Jun LI ; Can Jun ZHENG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(7):848-855
OBJECTIVE:
Human brucellosis is a serious public health concern in the Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia; however, the epidemic trends are unclear.
METHOD:
In this study, Joinpoint regression analysis and spatiotemporal analysis were applied to investigate the epidemic evolution of human brucellosis.
RESULT:
From 2004 to 2023, a total of 35,747 cases were reported, with an annual average of 1787.35 cases and an annual average incidence rate of 176.04/100,000. The incidence increased from 173.96/100,000 in 2004 to 500.71/100,000 in 2009 and fluctuated to 61.43/100,000 in 2023. Three epidemic join points were observed in which the disease experienced an alternative rise and fall, peaking in 2009 (APC = 21.73, P > 0.001) and 2020 (APC = 21.51, P > 0.001). The disease showed a persistent decline trend in lentitude (AAPC = -5.30, P > 0.001), suggesting challenges in disease control and a higher risk of rebound. The most cases were reported in Xilinhot City ( n = 4,777), followed by 4,391 in Sonid Left Banner, and 4,324 in Abaga Banner. Spatiotemporal analysis revealed two high clusters (CI and CII) from 2005 to 2012, the high cluster encompassing eight counties and shifting from north to south.
CONCLUSION
The present analysis highlights that human brucellosis has decreased significantly in the Xilingol League, but the epidemic is still severe; further implementation of a strict control program is necessary.
China/epidemiology*
;
Humans
;
Brucellosis/epidemiology*
;
Epidemics
;
Spatio-Temporal Analysis
;
Incidence
;
Cluster Analysis


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