1.Effective Components of Epimedii Folium in Regulating Related Signaling Pathways for Treatment of Steroid-induced Avascular Necrosis of Femoral Head: A Review
Jingxuan CHANG ; Jinyao WU ; Meiying JIN ; Fanqi MENG ; Wenhai ZHAO ; Zhenhai CUI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):277-288
Steroid-induced avascular necrosis of femoral head(SANFH) is a bone and joint disease caused by prolonged and excessive steroid use. Its typical pathological features involve progressive circulatory disorders in the blood supply system of femoral head, leading to osteocyte apoptosis and bone tissue necrosis. As the disease progresses, it ultimately results in structural collapse and necrotic lesions of the femoral head, severely affecting patients' limb function and quality of life. Glucocorticoids mediate pathological damage through dual mechanisms, on the one hand, they disrupt the dynamic equilibrium between bone formation and resorption by suppressing osteoblast differentiation activity and activating osteoclastogenesis, on the other hand, they induce lipid metabolism disorders, inhibit angiogenesis, and impair endothelial cell function, thereby triggering microcirculatory disorders. Epimedii Folium and its active components exhibit multidimensional regulatory effects in SANFH prevention and treatment. Literature review reveals that it is rich in multiple active ingredients, primarily including total flavonoids of Epimedii Folium, icaritin, icariin, kaempferol, icariside Ⅱ, etc. These compounds exert multiple pharmacological effects(regulating bone metabolic homeostasis, modulating angiogenesis, correcting lipid metabolism disorders, and controlling cellular autophagy processes) through multiple signaling pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin, transforming growth factor(TGF)-β/bone morphogenetic protein(BMP)/Smad, mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK), phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt), osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear transcription factor-κB ligand/receptor activator of nuclear transcription factor-κB(OPG/RANKL/RANK), etc. Based on existing research findings, this paper systematically elucidates the intervention mechanisms of active components in Epimedii Folium on key pathological processes of SANFH through the above pathways. It also deeply analyzes their regulatory roles in key nodes of different signaling pathways, aiming to provide valuable references for future clinical treatment and experimental research.
2.The mechanism of action of the insulin-like growth factor-1/insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor signaling pathway in regulating liver fibrosis
Yan CUI ; Jingtao LI ; Junzhe JIAO ; Zhanjie CHANG ; Haibo ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(2):445-451
Liver fibrosis is caused by various factors such as viral infection, alcohol intake, and metabolism-related damage, leading to the replacement of normal tissue by fibrous scars. As a regulatory factor for cell proliferation, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) participates in the regulation of cell cycle, the promotion of cell proliferation and differentiation, and the inhibition of cell apoptosis by binding to its receptor insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R). Studies have shown that the IGF-1/IGF-1R signaling pathway can regulate the process of liver fibrosis by affecting the senescence and apoptosis of hepatocytes, the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells, and the dysfunction of endothelial cells. In addition, the IGF-1/IGF-1R signaling system can also regulate multiple mechanisms such as DNA damage repair, cell proliferation, lipid metabolism, cell senescence, and oxidative stress, thereby providing new strategies and potential targets for the prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis. This article summarizes the mechanism of action of IGF-1/IGF-1R and its signal transduction system in mediating liver fibrosis by regulating DNA damage repair in different cells, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
3.Academic Characteristics of Contemporary Chinese Medicine Masters in Treating Diabetic Kidney Disease Based on SrTO
Yu SUN ; Xiaodan WANG ; Yingzi CUI ; Tianying CHANG ; Fan LI ; Lisha WANG ; Chenxuan DONG ; Shoulin ZHANG ; Xing LIAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):258-269
ObjectiveTo explore the academic characteristics of contemporary renowned Chinese medicine masters in treating diabetic kidney disease (DKD) from the perspectives of principles, methods, formulas, and medications. MethodsIn strict accordance with the Systematic Review of Text and Opinion (SrTO) process developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), an Australian evidence-based healthcare center, the databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, Wanfang Data, and China Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed) were searched. Based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, text information extraction, quality evaluation, and text information synthesis were conducted sequentially. The data were analyzed and presented in the form of text and figures. ResultsA total of 215 articles related to 43 contemporary renowned experts in the fields of Chinese medicine nephrology and endocrinology were included. The study found that the academic thoughts of these masters in the treatment of DKD are extensive, involving multiple levels such as disease understanding, therapeutic strategies, formula application, and medication use. In terms of disease understanding, the primary pathogenesis is characterized by deficiency in the root and excess in the manifestation. It is emphasized that internal factors, such as congenital endowment deficiency, interact with external factors such as improper diet, emotional disturbances, invasion of exogenous pathogens, and delayed or inappropriate treatment, to jointly induce the disease. This further gives rise to various pathogenetic theories, including obstruction of renal collaterals by blood stasis, toxin-induced damage to renal collaterals, latent wind disturbing the kidney, and internal heat leading to mass formation. In terms of therapeutic strategies and medication use, the principal treatment method is to replenish Qi and nourish Yin. Stage-based and syndrome-differentiated treatments are advocated. Flexible use of insect-derived drugs and wind-dispelling drugs is emphasized, along with proficiency in applying classical formulas and drug pairs. Integrated internal and external treatments, as well as the combined application of multiple therapeutic approaches, are commonly employed for comprehensive management. Meanwhile, the concept of "preventive treatment of disease" is upheld, and individualized long-term management of patients is advocated. ConclusionThrough the SrTO process, the academic thoughts of contemporary renowned Chinese medicine masters in the treatment of DKD have been systematically and standardly synthesized, providing a scientific and standardized basis for future theoretical exploration.
4.Academic Characteristics of Contemporary Chinese Medicine Masters in Treating Diabetic Kidney Disease Based on SrTO
Yu SUN ; Xiaodan WANG ; Yingzi CUI ; Tianying CHANG ; Fan LI ; Lisha WANG ; Chenxuan DONG ; Shoulin ZHANG ; Xing LIAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):258-269
ObjectiveTo explore the academic characteristics of contemporary renowned Chinese medicine masters in treating diabetic kidney disease (DKD) from the perspectives of principles, methods, formulas, and medications. MethodsIn strict accordance with the Systematic Review of Text and Opinion (SrTO) process developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), an Australian evidence-based healthcare center, the databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, Wanfang Data, and China Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed) were searched. Based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, text information extraction, quality evaluation, and text information synthesis were conducted sequentially. The data were analyzed and presented in the form of text and figures. ResultsA total of 215 articles related to 43 contemporary renowned experts in the fields of Chinese medicine nephrology and endocrinology were included. The study found that the academic thoughts of these masters in the treatment of DKD are extensive, involving multiple levels such as disease understanding, therapeutic strategies, formula application, and medication use. In terms of disease understanding, the primary pathogenesis is characterized by deficiency in the root and excess in the manifestation. It is emphasized that internal factors, such as congenital endowment deficiency, interact with external factors such as improper diet, emotional disturbances, invasion of exogenous pathogens, and delayed or inappropriate treatment, to jointly induce the disease. This further gives rise to various pathogenetic theories, including obstruction of renal collaterals by blood stasis, toxin-induced damage to renal collaterals, latent wind disturbing the kidney, and internal heat leading to mass formation. In terms of therapeutic strategies and medication use, the principal treatment method is to replenish Qi and nourish Yin. Stage-based and syndrome-differentiated treatments are advocated. Flexible use of insect-derived drugs and wind-dispelling drugs is emphasized, along with proficiency in applying classical formulas and drug pairs. Integrated internal and external treatments, as well as the combined application of multiple therapeutic approaches, are commonly employed for comprehensive management. Meanwhile, the concept of "preventive treatment of disease" is upheld, and individualized long-term management of patients is advocated. ConclusionThrough the SrTO process, the academic thoughts of contemporary renowned Chinese medicine masters in the treatment of DKD have been systematically and standardly synthesized, providing a scientific and standardized basis for future theoretical exploration.
5.Construction of a Postoperative Prevention and Treatment Model for Breast Cancer Based on the "Disease-Syndrome-Constitution-Trend-Strategy-Efficacy" Framework
Yongjia CUI ; Wenping LU ; Lei CHANG ; Lutian GONG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(5):580-583
In response to the high risk of recurrence and metastasis after breast cancer surgery, this paper proposes a six-dimensional integrated preventive and therapeutic model, namely the "disease-syndrome-constitution-trend-strategy-efficacy" framework, including disease identification, syndrome differentiation, constitution differentiation, trend assessment, strategy implementation, and effect evaluation. This model builds upon the traditional three-dimensional approach of disease identification, syndrome differentiation and constitution differentiation, and introduces "trend" to dynamically capture the evolving tendencies of disease progression and the transformation of syndrome and constitution, thereby operationalizing the concept of "treating before disease onset". The "strategy" dimension enables the organic integration and individualized regulation of TCM and western medical interventions, while the "efficacy" dimension establishes a multidimensional evaluation system integrating TCM and western medicine to assess the efficacy of the "strategy", so as to promote the systematic, dynamic, and precise development of treating before disease onset in TCM.
6.Gene Expression Alteration by Non-thermal Plasma-Activated Media Treatment in Radioresistant Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Sicong ZHENG ; Yudan PIAO ; Seung-Nam JUNG ; Chan OH ; Mi Ae LIM ; QuocKhanh NGUYEN ; Shan SHEN ; Se-Hee PARK ; Shengzhe CUI ; Shuyu PIAO ; Young Il KIM ; Ji Won KIM ; Ho-Ryun WON ; Jae Won CHANG ; Yujuan SHAN ; Lihua LIU ; Bon Seok KOO
Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology 2025;18(1):73-87
Objectives:
. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) exhibits high recurrence rates, particularly in cases of radioresistant HNSCC (RR-HNSCC). Non-thermal plasma (NTP) therapy effectively suppresses the progression of HNSCC. However, the therapeutic mechanisms of NTP therapy in treating RR-HNSCC are not well understood. In this study, we explored the regulatory role of NTP in the RR-HNSCC signaling pathway and identified its signature genes.
Methods:
. After constructing two RR-HNSCC cell lines, we prepared cell lysates from cells treated or not treated with NTP-activated media (NTPAM) and performed RNA sequencing to determine their mRNA expression profiles. Based on the RNA sequencing results, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs), followed by a bioinformatics analysis to identify candidate molecules potentially associated with NTPAM therapy for RR-HNSCC.
Results:
. NTPAM reduced RR-HNSCC cell viability in vitro. RNA sequencing results indicated that NTPAM treatment activated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway and induced ferroptosis in RR-HNSCC cell lines. Among the 1,924 genes correlated with radiation treatment, eight showed statistical significance in both the cell lines and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. Only five genes—ABCC3, DUSP16, PDGFB, RAF1, and THBS1—showed consistent results between the NTPAM data sequencing and TCGA data. LASSO regression analysis revealed that five genes were associated with cancer prognosis, with a hazard ratio of 2.26. In RR-HNSCC cells, NTPAM affected DUSP16, PDGFB, and THBS1 as activated markers within 6 hours, and this effect persisted for 12 hours. Furthermore, enrichment analysis indicated that these three DEGs were associated with the extracellular matrix, transforming growth factor-beta, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B, and mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor pathways.
Conclusion
. NTPAM therapy exerts cytotoxic effects in RR-HNSCC cell lines by inducing specific ROS-mediated ferroptosis. DUSP16, PDGFB, and THBS1 were identified as crucial targets for reversing the radiation resistance induced by NTPAM therapy, providing insights into the mechanisms and clinical applications of NTPAM treatment in RR-HNSCC.
7.Ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Wenjun WU ; Chang LIU ; Shengsheng YAO ; Daming LIU ; Yuan LUO ; Yihan SUN ; Ting RUAN ; Mengyou LIU ; Li SHI ; Mingming XIAO ; Qi ZHANG ; Zhengshuai LIU ; Xingai JU ; Jiahao WANG ; Xiang FEI ; Li LU ; Yang GAO ; Ying ZHANG ; Liying GONG ; Xuanyu CHEN ; Wanli ZHENG ; Xiali NIU ; Xiao YANG ; Huimei CAO ; Shijie CHANG ; Zuoxin MA ; Jianchun CUI
Chinese Journal of Endocrine Surgery 2025;19(3):313-319
Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (SN-HT) .Methods:This retrospective study included 164 patients from Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital , Lixin County People’s Hospital, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital, Fengcheng Phoenix Hospital, who underwent thyroidectomy for solitary nodules with normal thyroid function between Nov. 2016 and Jan. 2024. Postoperative pathology confirmed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in some cases, who were further categorized into antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups based on serum antibody status. Patients without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis served as the control group. A total of 298 ultrasound images were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from hypoechoic non-nodular areas within 0.5 cm surrounding the tumor. Two senior pathologists and two senior ultrasound physicians independently assessed lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic changes of follicular epithelium, and the proportion of hypoechoic areas in pathology and ultrasound images, respectively. A machine learning model, CCH-NET, was developed using linear regression and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CCH-NET with that of senior ultrasound physicians. Results:In internal validation, CCH-NET achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 88.89% for both antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups, significantly higher than the 66.67% accuracy of senior ultrasound physicians ( P<0.01). In external validation, CCH-NET achieved 75.00% and 66.67% accuracy for the two groups, compared to 50.00% by senior ultrasound physicians. For the control group, both methods achieved 93.33% accuracy. The AUC of CCH-NET was 0.848, outperforming senior ultrasound physicians (0.681) ,demonstrating superior diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The radiomics-based CCH-NET model, using non-nodular hypoechoic areas as a specific indicator, can accurately identify early SN-HT in euthyroid patients. It significantly outperforms senior ultrasound physicians, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing missed diagnoses.
8.T1WI deep learning models for evaluating brain injury of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
Jingwei CUI ; Yongchao NIU ; Beichen XIE ; Chang LIU ; Jinhui DUAN ; Qin XUE ; Ruifang YAN
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2025;41(3):394-398
Objective To observe the value of T1WI deep learning models for evaluating brain injury of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia(NHB).Methods Totally 106 NHB(defined as newborns with neonatal behavioral neurological assessment≤37,NHB group)and 119 non-NHB newborns(control group)in center A,as well as 34 NHB and 18 non-NHB newborns in center B were collected.ROI was delineated based on bilateral globus pallidus on T1WI.A total of 690 slices were obtained by preprocessing data of center A and then were divided into training set(n=552)and test set(n=138)at a ratio of 8∶2.ResNet18,DenseNet121 and EfficientNetB0 models was established,respectively.External validation was performed based on data of center B.Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn,area under the curves(AUC)were calculated to evaluate the performance of models for assessing NHB brain injuries compared with traditional visual analysis.Results The AUC of ResNet18 model for evaluating NHB brain injury was 0.910-0.990,significantly higher than that of DenseNet121 model(0.710-0.820)and EfficientNetB0 model(0.640-0.740)(all P<0.001).The accuracy,sensitivity and precision of ResNet18 model for evaluating NHB brain injury were all higher than those of visual analysis(all P<0.05),while no significant difference of specificity was found between the above two(P>0.05).Conclusion T1WI ResNet18 model showed excellent performance and generalization ability for evaluating NHB brain injury.
9.Co-expression and antiviral activity analysis of three human host restriction fac-tors CH25H-IFITM3-ISG15
Rong JIANG ; Letian LI ; Chunmei CUI ; Chang LI
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(1):53-58
To explore the application effect of host restriction factors(HRFs)in the development of antiviral gene drugs,this study based on the"common pathway of viral infection"and"host innate immunity HRFs",the genes of three antiviral HRFs,namely cholesterol-25-hydroxylase(CH25H),interferon-induced transmembrane protein(IFITM3)and interferon-stimulated gene 15(ISG15)were fused and expressed using pCK vectors to construct antiviral gene drugs.The fusion expression gene sequence CH25H-IFITM3-ISG15(C Ⅱ)was constructed by linking the gene cod-ing sequences of these three HRFs through the cleavage peptide coding sequence.Subsequently,the C Ⅱ sequence was amplified by PCR,ligated to the pCK expression vector,and the recombinant plasmid was transformed,identified,and extracted to obtain a candidate biodrug based on the DNA expression system,which was named pCK-CⅡ.Then,the recombinant plasmid was transfected in-to HEK 293T cells,and the expression of three antiviral proteins was successfully detected by Western blot.To clarify the antiviral effect of pCK-C Ⅱ at the cellular level,pCK-C Ⅱ was trans-fected into HEK 293 cells and BHK-21 cells,respectively.Twenty-four hours later,the BHK-21 cells were infected with vesicular stomatitis virus expressing green fluorescent protein(VSV-GFP),12 h later,the cells were observed under a fluorescence microscope and detected by flow cy-tometry;HEK 293 cells were inoculated with H3N2 subtype influenza virus,and the expression of H3N2 subtype influenza virus nuclear proteins was detected after 12 h using Western blot.The re-sults showed that transient transfection of pCK-C Ⅱ plasmid could significantly reduce the fluores-cence level of cells and the expression of nuclear protein of H3N2 subtype influenza virus in infec-ted cells.These results indicated that pCK-C Ⅱ had an inhibitory effect on the infection of VSV-GFP and H3N2 subtypes of influenza viruses after transient transfection of cells.
10.Design of combat rescue specialized physical training simulator
Hong-tao XING ; Shi-wei XU ; Jian-hua WANG ; Jing-chang LU ; Ke-chao ZHAO ; Cheng CUI
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(1):33-37
Objective To design a combat rescue specialized physical training simulator to solve the problems of the existing combat rescue physical traing in multifunctionality and simulation vividness.Methods The simulator was divided into three types for stretcher handling,land combat rescue and marine rescue based on the application scenerio and functional positioning,and into three grades of basic level,intensive level and ultra intensive level based on the loaded mass and additional weight object.The main components of the simulator included a manikin,a bionic joint and addtional weight objects.The manikin was made up of outer skin,inner liner and skeleton;the bionic joint was made of stainless steel with surface electrophoresis treatment,and was composed of high-strength medal bearing shafts with multiple disc springs and damping mechanisms;the additional weight objects involued in high-intensity cast iron or lead blocks,which were pre-embedded,mounted or srtapped into the simulator.The simulator was verified with body shape and mass detection,drop test,waterproof test and drag test.Results It's proved the simulator gained advantages in vividness for body shape and mass,bionic joint structure and adaptability to training environments and could be used for graded physical training in typical combat rescue scenerios.Conclusion The simulator developed solves the problems of the combat rescue specialized physical training equipment,and facilitates the enhancement of physical training of combat rescue personnel.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(1):33-37]

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