1.Mechanism of Yiqi Huoxue Therapy Regulating IL-33/ST2/IL-1RAP to Improve Nasal Mucosal Tissue Remodeling and Intervene in Allergic Rhinitis
Huan WANG ; Hongping LUO ; Meiya WANG ; Yuyin LIU ; Chenlin WANG ; Chao LIAO ; Fangqi LIANG ; Peizheng XIONG ; Li TIAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(14):298-307
ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Qidan Yifei Tongqiao granules (QDYF) alleviate nasal mucosal remodeling in allergic rhinitis (AR) via the interleukin-33 (IL-33)/growth stimulation expressed gene 2 (ST2)/interleukin-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAP) signaling pathway from the perspective of Qi-replenishing and blood-activating therapy. MethodsFirst, according to the previous network pharmacology results, this study predicted the potential mechanisms of QDYF in treating AR by screening key pathways, components, and targets. Molecular docking was performed via AutoDock and PyMOL 2.5.5. Subsequently, a rat model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR was used for validation through in vivo experiments. Forty-eight rats were assigned into 6 groups: Control, model, low-dose QDYF (QDYF-L, 4.04 g·kg-1), medium-dose QDYF (QDYF-M, 8.08 g·kg-1), high-dose QDYF (QDYF-H, 16.16 g·kg-1), and loratadine (0.9 mg·kg-1). After 14 days of intervention, behavioral scores of the rats were observed. The morphological changes of nasal mucosa tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Masson staining was used to observe collagen fiber deposition in the nasal mucosal tissue and to calculate the collagen volume fraction (CVF). The expression of E-cadherin (E-cad) in the nasal mucosa tissue was detected by immunofluorescence. The serum levels of helper T cell 2 (Th2) cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-5 (IL-5), and interleukin-13 (IL-13) as well as helper T cell 1 (Th1) cytokines interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ (INF-γ) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The protein levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), IL-33, ST2, and IL-1RAP in the nasal mucosa tissue were determined by Western blot. ResultsIL-33, ST2, and IL-1RAP had strong binding ability with the main active ingredients—wogonin, 7-methoxy-2-methylisoflavone, formononetin, naringenin, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol of QDYF, with the binding energy < -4.25 kcal⋅mol-1(1 cal≈4.184 J). The results of in vivo experiments showed that compared with the control group, the model group exhibited increased behavioral scores (P<0.05), aggravated pathological damage of nasal mucosa, increased collagen fiber deposition and CVF (P<0.05), elevated serum levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, up-regulated protein levels of TGF-β1, IL-33, ST2, and IL-1RAP in the nasal mucosa (P<0.05), down-regulated expression of E-cad, and declined serum levels of IL-2, IFN-γ, and IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the QDYF groups and loratadine group showed reduced behavioral scores (P<0.05), alleviated pathological damage of nasal mucosa, reduced collagen fiber deposition and CVF (P<0.05), and up-regulated E-cad expression (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the QDYF-H group and the loratadine group showed raised levels of INF-γ and IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio (P<0.05), declined serum levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, and down-regulated protein levels of TGF-β1, IL-33, ST2, and IL-1RAP in the nasal mucosa (P<0.05). In addition, the QDYF-H group exhibited an elevated serum IL-2 level (P<0.05). The QDYF-M group showed down-regulated protein levels of TGF-β1, IL-33 and IL-1RAP in the nasal mucosa (P<0.05). The QDYF-L group demonstrated a down-regulated protein level of ST2 in the nasal mucosa (P<0.05). ConclusionQDYF may regulate the Th1/Th2 balance through the IL-33/ST2/IL-1RAP signaling pathway, thereby ameliorating nasal mucosal tissue remodeling and alleviating AR.
2.Preparation of polyphenol-mediated copper ion coating on titanium surface and antibacterial and antioxidant properties
Zhenju GUAN ; Yonglin XIE ; Shougang XIANG ; Chengdong ZHANG ; Xiaolong LI ; Xingping LI ; Chao PU ; Bo ZHANG ; Xuwei LUO ; Dongqin XIAO
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(10):1997-2005
BACKGROUND:Titanium implants are widely used in clinical practice because of their high strength and good biocompatibility.However,during implantation,bacterial infection and tissue damage environment produce a large number of reactive oxygen species,which can easily lead to delayed tissue healing and surgical failure.Consequently,the development of titanium implants with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties becomes paramount. OBJECTIVE:Considering the potent antimicrobial attributes of copper ions and the remarkable antioxidant qualities of polyphenols,we proposed the fabrication of polyphenol-mediated copper ion coatings on titanium surfaces.These coatings were subsequently assessed for their in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. METHODS:Nanostructures were generated on the titanium surface using the alkali thermal method.The titanium was immersed in a solution containing tannic acid and copper ions to achieve polyphenol-mediated copper ion coatings.The surface morphology and water contact angle were detected.The loading and release of copper ions were examined using atomic absorption spectroscopy.Staphylococcus aureus was inoculated on the surface of pure titanium sheet(blank group),alkali heat treated titanium sheet(control group),and polyphenol mediated copper ion modified titanium sheet(experimental group)to observe the bacterial survival status.Osteoblast precursor cells MC3T3-E1 were co-cultivated on the surface of three groups of titanium sheets to assess their antioxidant properties and bioactivity. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Scanning electron microscopy showed that the polyphenol-mediated copper ion modified titanium sheet had rod-like nanostructures and no cracks on the surface.The surface hydrophilicity of copper ion modified titanium sheet mediated by polyphenol was close to that of pure titanium sheet.Atomic absorption spectrometry results showed a 51%increase in the loading capacity of copper ions after polyphenol mediation,with a uniform release of copper ions.(2)The antibacterial rates of titanium sheets in the blank group,control group,and experimental group were 0%,21.65%,and 93.75%,respectively.The live/dead staining and CTC staining showed that the live bacteria on the surface of titanium plates in the blank group were the most,and the live bacteria on the surface of titanium plates in the experimental group were the least.(3)The results of live/dead staining and CCK-8 assay showed that the three groups of titanium sheets had good cytocompatibility,and the titanium sheets in the experimental group were more conducive to the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells.Active oxygen fluorescence probe detection exhibited that compared with the other two groups,the fluorescence intensity of active oxygen on the surface of the experimental group was significantly reduced.The results of alkaline phosphatase and alizarin red S staining showed that the osteogenic differentiation and extracellular matrix mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells on the surface of titanium sheets in the experimental group were stronger than those in the other two groups.(4)These results show that the polyphenol-mediated copper ion coating has strong antibacterial and antioxidant properties and promotes osteogenic differentiation.
3.Machine learning identification of LRRC15 and MICB as immunodiagnostic markers for rheumatoid arthritis
Yanhu TIAN ; Xinan HUANG ; Tongtong GUO ; Rusitanmu·Ahetanmu ; Jiangmiao LUO ; Yao XIAO ; Chao WANG ; Weishan WANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(11):2411-2420
BACKGROUND:Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease.Early diagnosis is crucial for preventing disease progression and for effective treatment.Therefore,it is of significance to investigate the diagnostic characteristics and immune cell infiltration of rheumatoid arthritis. OBJECTIVE:Based on the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database,to screen potential diagnostic markers of rheumatoid arthritis using machine learning algorithms and to investigate the relationship between the diagnostic characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis and immune cell infiltration in this pathology. METHODS:The gene expression datasets of synovial tissues related to rheumatoid arthritis were obtained from the GEO database.The data sets were merged using a batch effect removal method.Differential expression analysis and functional correlation analysis of genes were performed using R software.Bioinformatics analysis and three machine learning algorithms were used for the extraction of disease signature genes,and key genes related to rheumatoid arthritis were screened.Furthermore,we analyzed immune cell infiltration on all differentially expressed genes to examine the inflammatory state of rheumatoid arthritis and investigate the correlation between their diagnostic characteristics and infiltrating immune cells. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In both rheumatoid arthritis and normal synovial tissues,we identified 179 differentially expressed genes,with 124 genes up-regulated and 55 genes down-regulated.Enrichment analysis revealed a significant correlation between rheumatoid arthritis and immune response.Three machine learning algorithms identified LRRC15 and MICB as potential biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis.LRRC15(area under the curve=0.964,95%confidence interval:0.924-0.992)and MICB(area under the curve=0.961,95%confidence interval:0.923-0.990)demonstrated strong diagnostic performance on the validation dataset.The infiltration of 13 types of immune cells was altered,with macrophages being the most affected.In rheumatoid arthritis,the majority of proinflammatory pathways in immune cell function were activated.Immunocorrelation analysis revealed that LRRC15 and MICB had the strongest correlation with M1 macrophages.To conclude,this study identified LRRC15 and MICB as potential diagnostic markers for rheumatoid arthritis,with strong diagnostic performance and significant correlation with immune cell infiltration.Machine learning and bioinformatics analysis deepened the understanding of immune infiltration in rheumatoid arthritis and provided new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
4.The impact of fluoride exposure through drinking water on the risk of hypertension among residents in Jishan County, Shanxi Province
Ying LIU ; Wenbo LYU ; Chao ZHANG ; Yang LIU ; Yuting JIANG ; Lihua WANG ; Yanmei YANG ; Haiyan JIA ; Peng LUO ; Yanhui GAO
Chinese Journal of Endemiology 2025;44(8):603-608
Objective:To study the impact of fluoride exposure through drinking water on the risk of hypertension among residents in Jishan County, Shanxi Province.Methods:From March to April 2023, a cluster sampling method was used to select permanent residents aged ≥18 years and residing for ≥10 years in 12 villages in drinking water-borne endemic fluorosis areas of Jishan County, Shanxi Province as the survey subjects. A questionnaire survey, physical examination, and morning urinary fluoride level testing were conducted. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression were used to analyze the key influencing factors of hypertension. Restricted cubic spline was used to evaluate the linear relationship between urinary fluoride and hypertension. Logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of urinary fluoride on hypertension.Results:Finally, 2 453 survey subjects were included, aged (62 ± 10) years, including 1 565 patients (63.80%) with hypertension. There were significant differences in the distribution of age, gender, education level, annual household income, body mass index (BMI), and the level and distribution of urinary fluoride between hypertension group and normal blood pressure group ( P < 0.05). The Lasso regression results showed that age, education level, BMI, and urinary fluoride were the key influencing factors of hypertension, with coefficients of 1.04, - 0.12, 0.24 and 0.01, respectively. The results of the restricted cubic spline showed that there was a linear relationship between urinary fluoride and hypertension after adjusting for age, education level, and BMI ( Poverall = 0.018, Pnonlinear = 0.482). The logistic regression results showed that after adjusting for age, education level, and BMI, urinary fluoride > 4.68 mg/L was a risk factor for hypertension ( OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.10 - 1.84, P = 0.007). Conclusion:High urinary fluoride is a risk factor for hypertension in drinking water-borne endemic fluorosis areas of Jishan County, Shanxi Province.
5.Research progress and nursing inspiration on the relationship between social activities and cognitive function in older adults
Yuqing HAO ; Huixiu HU ; Yajie ZHAO ; Jie GAO ; Huanhuan LUO ; Chao SUN
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(2):251-256
With the increasing aging of the population in China,the problem of cognitive decline with age is becoming more prominent,and how to move forward to maintain and improve cognitive function in older adults has become an important research topic.Active participation in social activities has a protective effect on cognitive function in older adults.This paper summarizes the concepts of social activities,relationships with cognitive function,and strategies for promoting interventions.The corresponding nursing inspirations were proposed,aiming to provide new perspectives for improving cognitive function in older adults.
6.Analysis on the diagnostic efficacy of different VMIs of DECT imaging for coracoclavicular ligament injury
Chao LIU ; Qian LUO ; Renbin GE ; Qinqin YU ; Lei ZHANG
China Medical Equipment 2025;22(2):31-36
Objective:To compare and analyze the parameters of image quality of virtual mono-energetic images(VMIs)and conventional computed tomography(CT)images of dual-energy CT(DECT)imaging for the coracoclavicular ligament,and to optimize the image quality of DECT imaging for coracoclavicular ligament.Methods:The DECT image data of shoulder joints of 50 patients who received DECT scan in the First People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University were retrospectively analyzed.450 VMIs at energy levels of 40 to 120 keV were obtained through the Syngo.via VB20 workstation,and these VMIs were divided into three groups:low energy level(40,50,60 keV),medium energy level(70,80,90 keV),and high energy level(100,110,120 keV).The contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR),the direction of coracoclavicular ligament's rows,and the displayed subjective quality scores of attachment points of VMIs were compared with those of conventional CT images.The results of MRI examination were used as the"gold standard"to assess the effectiveness of VMIs in diagnosing coracoclavicular ligament injuries of patients with acromioclavicular joint dislocation.The diagnostic efficacies of VMIs'the three groups and conventional images were assessed by using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results:The CNR values of diagonal ligament and conical ligament at 40 keV of low energy level group of VMIs for coracoclavicular ligament were respectively 14.09±3.27 and 13.9±3.06,and those of medium energy level group were respectively 11.89±4.01 and 12.17±4.08,and those of high energy level were respectively 9.69±4.25 and 9.78±4.33.The CNR value of low energy level group was significantly higher than that of medium and high energy level groups,and the differences were statistically significant(t=21.1,16.3,P<0.05),respectively.The results of ROC curve analysis indicated that the sensitivity,specificity and area under curve(AUC)value of the low energy level group were relatively higher in diagnosing coracoclavicular ligament injury,which were respectively 90.05%,91.95%and 0.965.There was high consistence in assessing coracoclavicular ligament injury between DECT's VMIs and MRI examination(Kappa=0.896).Conclusion:DECT's VMIs can better display the rows and attachment points of diagonal ligament and conical ligament,and the VMIs quality at low energy level(40 to 70 keV)is the best,which has better diagnostic efficacy in diagnosing coracoclavicular ligament injury.
7.3D-EDiffMG:3D equivariant diffusion-driven molecular generation to accelerate drug discovery
Chao XU ; Runduo LIU ; Yufen YAO ; Wanyi HUANG ; Zhe LI ; Hai-Bin LUO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(6):1344-1353
Structural optimization of lead compounds is a crucial step in drug discovery.One optimization strategy is to modify the molecular structure of a scaffold to improve both its biological activities and absorption,distribution,metabolism,excretion,and toxicity(ADMET)properties.One of the deep molecular generative model approaches preserves the scaffold while generating drug-like molecules,thereby accelerating the molecular optimization process.Deep molecular diffusion generative models simulate a gradual process that creates novel,chemically feasible molecules from noise.However,the existing models lack direct interatomic constraint features and struggle with capturing long-range dependencies in macromolecules,leading to challenges in modifying the scaffold-based molecular structures,and creates limitations in the stability and diversity of the generated molecules.To address these challenges,we propose a deep molecular diffusion generative model,the three-dimensional(3D)equivariant diffusion-driven molecular generation(3D-EDiffMG)model.The dual strong and weak atomic interaction force-based long-range dependency capturing equivariant encoder(dual-SWLEE)is introduced to encode both the bonding and non-bonding information based on strong and weak atomic interactions.Addi-tionally,a gate multilayer perceptron(gMLP)block with tiny attention is incorporated to explicitly model complex long-sequence feature interactions and long-range dependencies.The experimental results show that 3D-EDiffMG effectively generates unique,novel,stable,and diverse drug-like molecules,highlighting its potential for lead optimization and accelerating drug discovery.
8.Research progress and nursing inspiration on the relationship between social activities and cognitive function in older adults
Yuqing HAO ; Huixiu HU ; Yajie ZHAO ; Jie GAO ; Huanhuan LUO ; Chao SUN
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(2):251-256
With the increasing aging of the population in China,the problem of cognitive decline with age is becoming more prominent,and how to move forward to maintain and improve cognitive function in older adults has become an important research topic.Active participation in social activities has a protective effect on cognitive function in older adults.This paper summarizes the concepts of social activities,relationships with cognitive function,and strategies for promoting interventions.The corresponding nursing inspirations were proposed,aiming to provide new perspectives for improving cognitive function in older adults.
9.Analysis on the diagnostic efficacy of different VMIs of DECT imaging for coracoclavicular ligament injury
Chao LIU ; Qian LUO ; Renbin GE ; Qinqin YU ; Lei ZHANG
China Medical Equipment 2025;22(2):31-36
Objective:To compare and analyze the parameters of image quality of virtual mono-energetic images(VMIs)and conventional computed tomography(CT)images of dual-energy CT(DECT)imaging for the coracoclavicular ligament,and to optimize the image quality of DECT imaging for coracoclavicular ligament.Methods:The DECT image data of shoulder joints of 50 patients who received DECT scan in the First People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University were retrospectively analyzed.450 VMIs at energy levels of 40 to 120 keV were obtained through the Syngo.via VB20 workstation,and these VMIs were divided into three groups:low energy level(40,50,60 keV),medium energy level(70,80,90 keV),and high energy level(100,110,120 keV).The contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR),the direction of coracoclavicular ligament's rows,and the displayed subjective quality scores of attachment points of VMIs were compared with those of conventional CT images.The results of MRI examination were used as the"gold standard"to assess the effectiveness of VMIs in diagnosing coracoclavicular ligament injuries of patients with acromioclavicular joint dislocation.The diagnostic efficacies of VMIs'the three groups and conventional images were assessed by using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results:The CNR values of diagonal ligament and conical ligament at 40 keV of low energy level group of VMIs for coracoclavicular ligament were respectively 14.09±3.27 and 13.9±3.06,and those of medium energy level group were respectively 11.89±4.01 and 12.17±4.08,and those of high energy level were respectively 9.69±4.25 and 9.78±4.33.The CNR value of low energy level group was significantly higher than that of medium and high energy level groups,and the differences were statistically significant(t=21.1,16.3,P<0.05),respectively.The results of ROC curve analysis indicated that the sensitivity,specificity and area under curve(AUC)value of the low energy level group were relatively higher in diagnosing coracoclavicular ligament injury,which were respectively 90.05%,91.95%and 0.965.There was high consistence in assessing coracoclavicular ligament injury between DECT's VMIs and MRI examination(Kappa=0.896).Conclusion:DECT's VMIs can better display the rows and attachment points of diagonal ligament and conical ligament,and the VMIs quality at low energy level(40 to 70 keV)is the best,which has better diagnostic efficacy in diagnosing coracoclavicular ligament injury.
10.Study on the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine in treating breast cancer based on data mining
Yuan LI ; Lin QIAN ; Chao TIAN ; Tao WU ; Lyuhui HU ; Bingmei ZHU ; Zhihua YE ; Zhizhen TAO ; Min YANG ; Qinxi LIU ; Bihui YANG ; Hang LUO ; Fan QU ; Yi YANG
China Modern Doctor 2025;63(24):68-72,129
Objective To analyze the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine in treating breast cancer based on real-world data mining.Methods Inpatients with breast cancer who received traditional Chinese medicine treatment at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2017 to December 2021 were selected.Python 3.10 software was used to mine traditional Chinese medicine prescription data;SPSS 23.0 software was applied for descriptive analysis,and systematic cluster analysis was performed on high-frequency drugs.Results A total of 3026 consultation records of inpatients with breast cancer were collected.The main traditional Chinese medicine syndrome diagnosis of"predominantly liver depression and Qi stagnation"accounted for 60.94%of the total consultations.A total of 240 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine were used,with a cumulative frequency of 35 462 times.Among them,29 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine such as Danggui,Fuling,Baizhu,Chaihu had a cumulative usage frequency exceeding 300 times.Regarding the four natures of drugs,cold-natured(43.55%),warm-natured(30.05%),and neutral-natured(23.34%)drugs were predominant;In terms of five flavors,sweet(46.12%),bitter(30.91%),and pungent(20.02%)were the main ones.The most frequently used drugs were tonifying herbs(32.77%),followed by heat-clearing herbs(15.96%)and phlegm-resolving herbs(14.71%).Systematic cluster analysis yielded 7 groups of drug combinations.Conclusion In real-world clinical practice,traditional Chinese medicine for breast cancer mainly uses tonifying herbs,reflecting the traditional Chinese medicine principle of"strengthening healthy Qi and cultivating the root"in treating tumors.The four natures and five flavors of drugs follow syndrome differentiation and the combination of cold and heat.The clustered drug combinations have extensive therapeutic effects,covering various syndromes of breast cancer at different stages,which can provide a reference for clinical medication.

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