1.Danggui Niantongtang in Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Review
Enhui ZHOU ; Zhiying CHE ; Zhenliang WANG ; Erping XU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(11):343-349
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by symmetrical polyarthritis, which may lead to joint deformity and loss of joint function in the long term, severely impairing patients' quality of life. Danggui Niantongtang, originated from Medical Revelations by Zhang Yuansu in the Jin Dynasty, has the effects of clearing heat and draining dampness, dispelling wind and alleviating pain, and serves as a classic formula for treating RA damp-heat stagnation syndrome. By searching CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed and other databases, the author systematically reviewed the clinical efficacy and experimental research of Danggui Niantongtang in the treatment of RA, and elucidated its mechanisms of action, so as to provide a valuable reference for future clinical and basic research of Danggui Niantongtang in the field of RA. Clinical studies demonstrated that Danggui Niantongtang can improve core symptoms in RA patients with the damp-heat stagnation syndrome, including joint swelling and pain, morning stiffness and limited joint mobility, decrease inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and facilitate postoperative rehabilitation in RA patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). When combined with Western medicines such as methotrexate, it can enhance the anti-inflammatory efficacy and mitigate adverse reactions, including gastrointestinal discomfort and hepatic injury. Experimental studies revealed that this formula can modulate the inflammatory cytokine network, promote synoviocyte apoptosis, inhibit abnormal synoviocyte autophagy, suppress synovial angiogenesis, and maintain intestinal flora homeostasis. However, several limitations exist in current research, such as insufficient clinical quality, unclear interaction between mechanisms and networks, and insufficient research on dosage form optimization. In the future, high-quality clinical research, multi-omics mechanistic studies, and dosage form improvement are needed to provide scientific basis for its clinical promotion and in-depth research.
2.Joint Relation Extraction of Famous Medical Cases with CasRel Model Combining Entity Mapping and Data Augmentation
Yuxin LI ; Xinghua XIANG ; Hang YANG ; Dasheng LIU ; Jiaheng WANG ; Zhiwei ZHAO ; Jiaxu HAN ; Mengjie WU ; Qianzi CHE ; Wei YANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):218-225
ObjectiveTo address the challenges of unstructured classical Chinese expressions, nested entity relationships, and limited annotated data in famous traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) case records, this study proposes a joint relation extraction framework that integrates data augmentation and entity mapping, aiming to support the construction of TCM diagnostic knowledge graphs and clinical pattern mining. MethodsWe developed an annotation structure for entities and their relationships in TCM case texts and applied a data augmentation strategy by incorporating multiple ancient texts to expand the relation extraction dataset. A cascade binary tagging framework for relation triple extraction(CasRel) model for TCM semantics was designed, integrating a pre-trained bidirectional encoder representations from transformers(BERT) layer for classical TCM texts to enhance semantic representation, and using a head entity-relation-tail entity mapping mechanism to address entity nesting and relation overlapping issues. ResultsExperimental results showed that the CasRel model, combining data augmentation and entity mapping, outperformed the pipeline-based Bert-Radical-Lexicon(BRL)-bidirectional long short-term memory(BiLSTM)-Attention model. The overall precision, recall, and F1-score across 12 relation types reached 65.73%, 64.03%, and 64.87%, which represent improvements of 14.26%, 7.98%, and 11.21% compared to the BRL-BiLSTM-Attention model, respectively. Notably, the F1-score for tongue syndrome relations increased by 22.68%(69.32%), and the prescription-syndrome relations performed the best with the F1-score of 70.10%. ConclusionThe proposed framework significantly improves the semantic representation and complex dependencies in TCM texts, offering a reusable technical framework for structured mining of TCM case records. The constructed knowledge graph can support clinical syndrome differentiation, prescription optimization, and drug compatibility, providing a methodological reference for TCM artificial intelligence research.
3.Effect of Serum Containing Zhenwutang on Apoptosis of Myocardial Mast Cells and Mitochondrial Autophagy
Wei TANG ; Meiqun ZHENG ; Xiaolin WANG ; Zhiyong CHEN ; Chi CHE ; Zongqiong LU ; Jiashuai GUO ; Xiaomei ZOU ; Lili XU ; Lin LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):11-21
ObjectiveTo explore the effect of serum containing Zhenwutang on myocardial mast cell apoptosis induced by angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ) and the mechanism of the correlation between apoptosis and mitochondrial autophagy. MethodsIn this experiment, AngⅡ and serum containing Zhenwutang with different concentrations were used to interfere with H9C2 cardiomyocytes for 24 h, and the survival rate of H9C2 cardiomyocytes was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) to screen the optimal concentration for the experiment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the content of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in cell culture supernatant, and immunofluorescence was used to detect the cell surface area to verify the construction of the myocardial mast cell model. Subsequently, the experiment was divided into a blank group (20% blank serum), a model group (20% blank serum + 5×10-5 mol·L-1 AngⅡ), low-, medium-, and high-dose (5%, 10% and 20%) serum containing Zhenwutang groups, an autophagy inhibitor group (1×10-4 mol·L-1 3-MA), and autophagy inducer group (1×10-7 mol·L-1 rapamycin). The apoptosis level of H9C2 cells and the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by flow cytometry. The lysosomal probe (Lyso Tracker) and mitochondrial probe (Mito Tracker) co-localization was employed to detect autophagy. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to detect Caspase-3, Caspase-9, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-related X protein (Bax), and cytochrome C (Cyt C) in apoptosis-related pathways and the relative mRNA expression of ubiquitin ligase (Parkin), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-induced kinase 1 (PINK1), and p62 protein in mitochondrial autophagy-related pathways. Western blot was used to detect cleaved Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9, Bax, Bcl-2, and Cyt C in apoptosis-related pathways, phosphorylated ubiquitin ligase (p-Parkin), phosphorylated PTEN-induced kinase 1 (p-PINK1), p62, and Bcl-2 homology domain protein Beclin1 in mitochondrial autophagy-related pathways, and the change of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) Ⅱ/Ⅰ ratio. ResultsCCK-8 showed that when the concentration of AngⅡ was 5×10-5 mol·L-1, the cell activity was the lowest, and there was no cytotoxicity. At this concentration, the surface area of cardiomyocytes was significantly increased (P<0.01), and the content of BNP in the supernatant of culture medium was significantly increased (P<0.05). Therefore, AngⅡ with a concentration of 5×10-5 mol·L-1 was selected for the subsequent modeling of myocardial mast cells. Compared with the blank group, the model group and the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA group had a significantly increased apoptosis rate (P<0.01) and significantly decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (P<0.01). The results of immunofluorescence co-localization showed that compared with the blank group, the model group had a significantly decreased number of red and green fluorescence spots. The results of Real-time PCR showed that compared with that in the blank group, the relative mRNA expression of Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Cyt C, and p62 in the model group was significantly up-regulated (P<0.01), while the relative mRNA expression of Bcl-2, Parkin, and PINK1 was significantly down-regulated (P<0.01). In addition, the relative protein expression of Bax, cleaved Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9, Cyt C, and p62 was significantly up-regulated (P<0.01). The LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ was significantly decreased, and the relative protein expression of Bcl-2, p-Parkin, p-PINK1, and Beclin1 was significantly down-regulated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the serum containing Zhenwutang groups and the autophagy inducer group had significantly decreased apoptosis rate (P<0.01), and the decrease ratio of mitochondrial membrane potential is significantly lowered (P<0.01) in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, both red and green fluorescence spots became more in these groups. In the 3-MA group, the number of red and green fluorescence spots decreased significantly. The relative mRNA expression of Bax, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Cyt C, and p62 was significantly down-regulated (P<0.05, P<0.01), while that of Bcl-2, Parkin, and PINK1 was significantly up-regulated (P<0.01). In the serum containing Zhenwutang groups, the relative protein expression levels of Bax, cleaved Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9, Cyt C, and p62 were significantly down-regulated (P<0.05,P<0.01). The LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ was significantly increased, and the relative protein expression levels of Bcl-2, p-Parkin, p-PINK1, and Beclin1 were significantly up-regulated (P<0.01). ConclusionThe serum containing Zhenwutang can reduce the apoptosis of myocardial mast cells and increase mitochondrial autophagy. This is related to the inhibition of intracellular Bax/Bcl-2/Caspase-3 apoptosis pathway and regulation of Parkin/PINK1 mitochondrial autophagy pathway.
4.Therapeutic strategies targeting CD47-SIRPα signaling pathway in gastrointestinal cancers treatment
Zhengping CHE ; Wei WANG ; Lin ZHANG ; Zhenghong LIN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(1):97-113
Gastrointestinal(GI)cancers are prevalent globally,with leading incidence and mortality rates among malignant tumors.Despite notable advancements in surgical resection,radiotherapy,and chemotherapy,the overall survival rates remain low.Hence,it is imperative to explore alternative approaches that enhance patient outcomes.Cluster of differentiation 47(CD47),serving as an early diagnostic marker,is predominantly overexpressed in GI cancers and associated with poor prognosis.Targeting the CD47-signal regulatory protein alpha(SIRPα)signaling pathway may provide a novel strategy for GI cancers treatment This study summarizes current knowledge of the structure and function of CD47 and SIRPα,their roles in signaling pathways,the prognostic significance of CD47,therapeutic strategies targeting the CD47-SIRPα signaling pathway in GI cancer,and highlights key issues for future investigations.
5.Real-world effectiveness of an immunosuppressant combined with different chemoth-erapy regimens in the neoadjuvant treatment of advanced gastric cancer
Che SHENGFU ; Gao ZHONGTI ; Qing HUIGUO ; Han JINGJING ; Wang KESHEN ; Li LONG ; Long BO ; Yu ZEYUAN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Oncology 2025;52(9):447-453
Objective:The aims of this study were to compare the clinical effectiveness of an immunosuppressant(sintilimab)combined with different chemotherapy regimens(two-and three-drug regimens)in the neoadjuvant treatment of advanced gastric cancer and to explore the efficacy-associated clinical features.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with advanced gastric cancer who re-ceived treatment at Lanzhou University Second Hospital between August 2020 and February 2024.Overall,133 patients were included in the study and assigned into groups A(three-drug regimens)and B(two-drug regimens),according to the treatment regimen received.Recent ef-ficacy outcomes,including the pathological complete response rate(pCR),major pathological response rate(MPR),objective response rate(ORR),and disease control rate(DCR),as well as long-term efficacy outcomes,including overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS),were compared.Subgroup analyses were performed to identify clinical features associated with treatment efficacy.Results:The recent effic-acy outcomes were similar between groups A(two-drug regimen)and B(three-drug regimen),with pCRs of 18.46%and 27.94%,MPRs of 52.31%and 58.82%,ORRs of 76.92%and 76.47%,and DCRs of 87.69%and 95.59%,respectively.However,the three-drug regimen led to significantly improved OS and DFS,compared with the two-drug regimen(P<0.05).Subgroup analysis revealed that male patients and those with gastric antrum cancer,an ECOG score of 0,a T4 stage tumor,and no vascular or nerve invasion benefited more from the three-drug re-gimen.Conclusions:Sintilimab combined with the three-drug chemotherapy regimen demonstrated superior long-term efficacy in the neo-adjuvant treatment of advanced gastric cancer,compared with the combination with the two-drug regimen.Certain clinical features may predict greater benefit from the three-drug regimen.
6.Contamination of mouse pads in dental clinics and its intervention measures
Ce LU ; Hongrun REN ; Shuyuan LI ; Mingqing CHE ; Tao GAO ; Lirong WANG
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2025;24(6):789-794
Objective To investigate the contamination status of cloth mouse pads in dental clinics,and provide theoretical basis for standardizing environmental surface disinfection and scientific intervention in dental clinics.Methods The contamination status of cloth mouse pads in 5 dental clinics were investigated by adenosine triphos-phate(ATP)fluorescence detection method,visual observation method,and bacterial culture method.Disinfection efficacy of ultraviolet disinfection method and wiping disinfection using two types of disinfectant wipes on cloth mouse pads and photovoltaic glass mouse pads was compared.Intervention measures(using photovoltaic glass mouse pads,regular cleaning and disinfecting)were taken,and contamination status of cloth mouse pads in different departments before and after intervention was compared.Results The baseline investigation found that the conta-mination status of mouse pads varied in different dental clinics.The qualified rate of bacterial culture of mouse pads in department of endodontics was the lowest(20.00%),followed by the department of periodontology(30.00%).There was statistically significant difference in ATP detection values between two types of disinfectant wipes before and after wiping and disinfecting photovoltaic glass mouse pads(both P<0.001).After using photovoltaic glass mouse pads,the contamination of mouse pads in 5 dental clinics was alleviated,and the qualified rate of ATP detec-tion increased(>80%),compared with qualified rate of ATP detection before intervention,differences were all sta-tistically significant(all P<0.001).Conclusion The contamination of the cloth mouse pads in dental clinics is seri-ous,and the conventional cloth mouse pad is difficult to be cleaned and disinfected.It is suggested that medical in-stitutions use the mouse pad which is convenient for cleaning and disinfection,and specify the disinfection method and frequency to control the contamination of the mouse pads.
7.Risk factors for early postoperative infectious complications following laparoscopic gastrectomy:a single-center retrospective analysis of 1 572 cases
Xing'an WU ; Xinhua LIAO ; Guanglin QIU ; Haijiang WANG ; Mengke ZHU ; Jing LU ; Lin FAN ; Xiangming CHE
Chinese Journal of General Surgery 2025;34(4):745-752
Background and Aims:Minimally invasive surgery,represented by laparoscopic techniques,plays a vital role in the treatment of gastric cancer.However,postoperative infectious complications remain a key factor affecting patient recovery and prognosis.This study was performed to identify the risk factors associated with early(≤1 month)infectious complications after laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer,providing a reference for clinical prevention strategies.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1 572 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from March 2020 to February 2024.Patients were divided into infection and non-infection groups based on the occurrence of postoperative infectious complications.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify related risk factors.Results:Among the 1 572 patients,194 cases(12.3%)developed early postoperative infectious complications,including intra-abdominal infections(4.1%),surgical site infections(3.7%),and pulmonary infections(5.6%).Univariate analysis revealed that a history of diabetes,pulmonary disease,smoking,and preoperative anemia and hypoalbuminemia were significantly associated with postoperative infections(all P<0.05).Multivariate analysis indicated that a history of diabetes(OR=6.927,95%CI=4.194-12.935),smoking(OR=3.079,95%CI=2.261-4.913),and preoperative albumin<35 g/L(OR=0.572,95%CI=0.302-1.578)were independent risk factors for early postoperative infectious complications.Conclusion:A history of diabetes,smoking,and preoperative hypoalbuminemia are closely associated with the occurrence of early postoperative infectious complications after laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery.Clinical attention should be paid to perioperative metabolic,nutritional,and lifestyle management,and early intervention for high-risk patients may help reduce the incidence of complications,improve recovery,and enhance treatment outcomes.
8.Screening analyses of tuberculosis infection among primary and secondary school students in Cixi City of Zhejiang Province from 2024 to 2025
Linfeng WANG ; Sinan XU ; Na LI ; Yang CHE
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(10):813-816
ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence and determinants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis latent infection among primary and secondary school students in Cixi City, Zhejiang Province, so as to provide references for the prevention and control of tuberculosis in school settings. MethodsInterferon-γ release assay (IGRA) testing was performed to fourth-grade primary school students , as well as to those grade 7 and grade 10 students of the academic year 2024‒2025 in Cixi City. Individuals tested positive for IGRA were subsequently subjected to chest X-ray examination and sputum tests (including three smear microscopy examinations and one mycobaterial culture), and epidemiological investigations were carried out for confirmed cases. Infection rates were compared across student categories by χ² tests, while factors influencing infection were analysed through multivariate logistic regression. ResultsA total of 36 214 students completed tuberculosis screening, with an infection rate of 0.72% (260/36 214). The tuberculosis infection rates among fourth-grade primary school students, non boarding grade 7 students, boarding grade 7 students, grade 10 students of senior high school and of vocational high school were 0.68% (89/13 139), 0.75% (86/11 501), 0.51% (13/2 553), 0.76% (52/6 819), and 0.91% (20/2 202), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that students with a history of close contact with tuberculosis patients (OR=21.435, P<0.001) had a higher risk of tuberculosis infection, students with a geographic origin outside Zhejiang Province (OR=1.485, P=0.002) had a higher risk of infection than those within Zhejiang Province. Furthermore, students from ethnic minority classes (OR=4.232, P<0.001) might be high-risk groups for tuberculosis infection in high school settings. One IGRA-positive student was confirmed as bacteriologically positive pulmonary tuberculosis by liquid culture of sputum collected one month later. ConclusionSchools should prioritize tuberculosis screening. Students with a history of close contact, those with a geographic origin outside Zhejiang Province, and those enrolled in minority classes should be taken as priority targets for future tuberculosis screening programmes. A tracking and follow-up system must be established for IGRA-positive students to prevent persistent transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis within the school settings.
9.Crigler-Najjar syndrome type Ⅱ complicated with gallbladder stones:A case report and literature review
Xuechun WANG ; Meng ZHANG ; Qibo HU ; Xin TIAN ; Xue SHAO ; Guanghua CHE
Journal of Jilin University(Medicine Edition) 2025;51(3):785-789
Crigler-Najjar syndrome(CNS)is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by mutations in the UGT1A1 gene.This author retrospectively analyzes the clinical data of one patient presenting with postnatal hyperbilirubinemia,who was genetically diagnosed with CNS.Her clinical course,genetic characteristics,diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are discussed to enhance clinicians'understanding of this condition.The patient exhibited recurrent jaundice due to elevated unconjugated bilirubin(UCB)levels since birth.During this period,the gallstones were identified and surgically removed,yet her bilirubin levels did not improve.In March 2024,the patient presented to our hospital and underwent genetic testing via a third-party facility.The results revealed two risk variants in the UGT1A1 gene.After one week of oral phenobarbital administration,her UCB levels decreased by approximately 47%,confirming a diagnosis of CNS type Ⅱ.The patient is currently under active follow-up with regular monitoring of bilirubin levels.For the infants and children presenting with persistent,fluctuating,non-hemolytic,and non-hepatitic hyperbilirubinemia since birth,early genetic testing should be prioritized to establish the definitive diagnosis.
10.Expression purification,antibody preparation,and subcellular localization analysis of Toxoplasma gondii thioredoxin 20
Yuyi SHI ; Shengqi GAN ; Che LIU ; Ziwen CHENG ; Kuo CHENG ; Baoling YANG ; Dawei WANG
Journal of Jilin University(Medicine Edition) 2025;51(6):1595-1606
Objective:To express,purify,prepare antibodies,and analyze the subcellular localization of Toxoplasma gondii thioredoxin 20(Trx20),and to provide the reference for the development of Toxoplasma gondii vaccine.Methods:Bioinformatics-related websites and software were used to perform bioinformatics analysis of the Trx20 protein;specific primers were designed to amplify the target fragment and construct the prokaryotic expression vector;the protein was expressed in vitro and purified;experimental animals were immunized to prepare antibodies;enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method was used to detect the titer of the polyclonal antibodies;Western blotting method was used to verify the specificity and sensitivity of the antibodies and to determine the natural expression of the protein;immunofluorescence assay(IFA)was used to analyze the subcellular localization of the protein.Results:The bioinformatics analysis results showed that Trx20 protein was a relatively stable hydrophilic protein with a molecular formula of C2172H3412N548O616S20,containing 424 amino acids,a predicted relative molecular mass of 47 700,and a theoretical isoelectric point of 8.55;it was predicted that the protein had one signal peptide,no transmembrane region,contained one domain named"Thioredoxin like Superfamily",and had 35 phosphorylation sites,one N-glycosylation site,and 17 antigenic determinants;in the secondary structure,alpha-helices accounted for 41.51%of the total amino acids,and random coils accounted for 39.86%;the recombinant plasmids pET-28a-Trx20 and pGEX-4T-1-Trx20 were successfully constructed,and the soluble recombinant protein was expressed and purified;polyclonal antibodies were successfully prepared with a titer as high as 1:64 000,and they specifically recognized the endogenous Trx20 protein in Toxoplasma gondii;the subcellular localization results showed that Trx20 protein was widely distributed in the cytoplasm of the parasite.Conclusion:Toxoplasma gondii Trx20 protein is a secretory protein containing phosphorylation/glycosylation modification sites and a thioredoxin domain,and it is localized in the cytoplasm of the parasite.

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