1.Molecular Crosstalk Mechanisms of Shoutai Wan and Juyuan Jian on Maternal-fetal Interface Subcellular Clusters in CBA/J×DBA/2 Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Model
Jingxin GAO ; Qiuping CHEN ; Xiaoyan ZHENG ; Pengfei ZENG ; Rui ZHOU ; Yancai TANG ; Qian ZENG ; Wenli GUO ; Jinzhu HUANG ; Weijun DING ; Linwen DENG ; Hang ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):70-87
ObjectiveTo systematically compare the differential regulation of the maternal-fetal interface cell lineages and communication networks in the CBA/J×DBA/2 mouse model of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) by the two classic therapeutic methods-tonifying the kidney to stabilize the fetus and invigorating the spleen to stabilize the fetus (Shoutai Wan, Juyuan Jian)-of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) at the single-cell resolution and clarify their modern scientific connotations. MethodsFemale non-pregnant CBA/J mice were caged with male BALB/c (blank group) and DBA/2 (modeling group) mice separately. Pregnant mice in the modeling group were randomly grouped as follows: high/low-dose Shoutai Wan, high/low-dose Juyuan Jian, model (RPL), and positive control (dydrogesterone), with 10 mice in each group. Starting from the day after the detection of the vaginal plug, mice were administrated with drugs or an equal volume of normal saline by gavage for 10 consecutive days. After the intervention, the following indicators were measured. ① Macroscopic evaluation: general conditions, uterine wet weight, embryo loss rate, four coagulation parameters [prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FIB), and thrombin time (TT)], and peripheral blood estradiol (E2) and progesterone (Pg) levels. The decidua with embryos was stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), CXC chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 homolog (LC3)Ⅰ/Ⅱ was quantified by Western blot. ② Mechanism analysis at the single-cell level: The decidua with embryos from the blank, model, high-dose Shoutai Wan, and high-dose Juyuan Jian groups (6 mice per group, with 3 single-cell samples per group, totaling 24 mice) were analyzed by the BD Rhapsody™ platform, and the whole-cell atlas was drawn by uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) dimensionality reduction clustering combined with the single-cell mouse cell atlas (scMCA). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and cell interaction networks were analyzed via Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and CellChat, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) map of subtype cells was constructed. The CytoTRACE pseudo-temporal analysis was performed to explore the developmental trajectories of core immune cells (natural killer cells, NK cells) from maternal and fetal sources. Results① Pathological and Western blot results indicated that compared with the blank group, the RPL group showed an increase in the embryo loss rate (P<0.01), down-regulated expression of Bcl-2, LIF, MMP-2, and Vegf in the decidua with embryos (P<0.05), up-regulated protein levels of CXCL-12, AngⅡ, and IL-6 (P<0.05), blocked angiogenesis, apoptosis-inflammation imbalance, and coagulation dysfunction. Both prescriptions dose-dependently reduced the abortion rate and restored the angiogenesis-inflammation balance, and Shoutai pill showed superior performance in restoring the E2 level to the Pg level (P<0.05). ② Single-cell transcriptome analysis indicated that compared with the blank group, the RPL group showed differences in multiple key cell populations such as decidual cells, trophoblast cells, endothelial cells, erythroblasts, NK cells, and macrophages at the maternal-fetal interface. Immunity and angiogenesis were the key links in RPL. Compared with the RPL group, high-dose Shoutai Wan reversed the changes of NK cells in the embryonic layer (upregulating the mRNA levels of 17 genes and downregulating the mRNA levels of 29 genes) and macrophages (upregulating the mRNA levels of 117 genes and downregulating the mRNA levels of 53 genes) through the regulation of gene expression. High-dose Shoutai pill regulated the immune cells to affect unfolded proteins, cell adhesion, and programmed cell death, thereby promoting decidualization and angiogenesis and modulating embryo-membrane development. High-dose Juyuan Jian regulated the key subgroups of NK cells (up-regulating the mRNA levels of 9 genes and down-regulating the mRNA levels of 17 genes) and macrophages (up-regulating the mRNA levels of 110 genes and down-regulating the mRNA levels of 81 genes), which affected decidual inflammation and apoptosis and intervened in glycolysis. ③ The pseudo-temporal analysis and communication network indicated that the communication frequency of the RPL group decreased. High-dose Shoutai Wan restored maternal-fetal tolerance through pathways such as NKG2D, CDH5, GDF, and FASLG. High-dose Juyuan Jian enhanced the IL-6/LIFR/JAK/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and desmosome/SEMA6/tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) signaling to improve endometrial receptivity. The RPL group showed an increased proportion of toxic dNK7, a decreased proportion of reparative dNK4, and blocked embryo fNK1. High-dose Shoutai Wan down-regulated dNK7 and up-regulated dNK4. High-dose Juyuan Jian inhibited the terminal differentiation of dNK7 and up-regulated LILRB1, thus restoring the balance of cytotoxicity and repair. ConclusionBoth the kidney-tonifying and spleen-invigorating methods are effective in treating RPL. NK and macrophages are the key immune cells in the interaction between the embryo and the membrane. The kidney-tonifying method (Shoutai Wan) has an advantage in regulating the phenotypes of unfolded protein, cell adhesion, and programmed cell death, and shows expression characteristics closer to the physiological state in the regulation of NKG2D and CDH5 signals. The spleen-invigorating method (Juyuan Jian) has an advantage in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, and glycolysis and shows higher communication intensity in the IL-6 and LIFR pathways.
2.lncRNA DLEU2 regulates IKKα-mediated 131I resistance in thyroid carcinoma TPC-1 cells via the EZH2/H3K27me3 axis
ZOU Huangren ; LIU Yanlin ; ZHANG Lu ; BAI Yuke ; GAO Rui ; QIN Tiantian ; FANG Ruotong ; DENG Ziyong
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2026;33(4):363-372
[摘 要] 目的:探讨lncRNA DLEU2通过EZH2/H3K27me3途径调控IKKα介导甲状腺癌(TC)放射性碘抵抗的作用机制。方法:利用TCGA数据库分析TC中DLEU2的表达及其与EZH2的相关性。构建放射性碘抵抗的TPC-1细胞(RR-TPC-1细胞)模型及裸鼠移植瘤模型,通过敲低或过表达DLEU2(si-DLEU2/OE-DLEU2)、抑制EZH2(UNC1999)、过表达IKKα(OE-IKKα)进行干预,采用qPCR、WB、RIP、ChIP、CCK-8、流式细胞术、TUNEL染色及体内成瘤实验检测基因与蛋白表达、表观修饰、细胞增殖、凋亡及肿瘤生长。结果:TCGA分析显示,DLEU2在TC组织中显著上调(P < 0.001),与患者不良预后相关(P = 0.008 4),且与EZH2表达呈正相关(r = 0.390, P < 0.001);RIP证实EZH2与DLEU2存在相互作用/结合(P < 0.05)。体外实验表明,敲低DLEU2可显著下调RR-TPC-1细胞中EZH2、IKKα表达及H3K27me3修饰水平,抑制NF-κB通路活化(P < 0.05或P < 0.01),抑制细胞增殖、促进凋亡(均P < 0.05)。联合敲低DLEU2与抑制EZH2进一步增强上述效应,而过表达IKKα则可部分逆转上述效应(P < 0.05或P < 0.01)。体内实验进一步证实,敲低DLEU2联合抑制EZH2可显著抑制移植瘤生长,增加肿瘤细胞凋亡(均P < 0.01);IKKα过表达则部分逆转上述抗肿瘤效应(P < 0.05或P < 0.01)。结论:lncRNA DLEU2通过招募EZH2催化H3K27me3修饰,间接激活IKKα/NF-κB信号并形成正反馈环路,介导TPC-1细胞131I抵抗。
3.Antibody levels of diphtheria and tetanus in healthy population in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 2018-2024
Yu BAI ; Dandan YANG ; Wanran CHENG ; Rui ZHANG ; Pengfei DENG ; Caoyi XUE ; Laibao YANG ; Yi FEI
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2026;37(3):52-55
Objective To understand the antibody levels of diphtheria and tetanus among healthy population in Shanghai Pudong New Area, and to provide a scientific basis for improving the vaccine immunization strategy. Methods Random sampling was used to select healthy people of all ages in 16 communities in Shanghai Pudong New Area from 2018 to 2024, and serum samples were collected and tested for serum anti-diphtheria and tetanus toxin IgG antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method to analyze the antibody positivity rate (≥0.1 IU/ml) and the geometric mean concentration (GMC) of antibodies. Results A total of 3 312 serum samples were included, with a male-to-female ratio of 0.76:1, and 53.77% were local residents. The seropositivity rates and geometric mean concentrations (GMC) of both diphtheria and tetanus antibodies generally declined with increasing age, but exhibited a transient rebound in the 7y-. A total of 1 175 individuals (35.48%) were seropositive for diphtheria, with a GMC of 0.054 IU/mL. For tetanus, 988 individuals (29.83%) were seropositive, with a GMC of 0.033 IU/mL. Significant differences in seropositivity rates (χ2diphtheria=950.005,χ2tetanus=1 324.393) and GMC (Hdiphtheria=1027.160,Htetanus=1 142.007) were observed among different age groups (P<0.001). Significant differences in seropositivity rates (χ2diphtheria=950.005,χ2tetanus=1324.393) and GMC (Hdiphtheria=1027.160,Htetanus=1142.007) were also found across different years (P<0.001). Conclusion The prevalence of diphtheria and tetanus antibodies in the healthy population of Pudong New Area is relatively low, particularly among adults over 20 years of age with inadequate immunization. This underscores the need to reinforce the National Immunization Program (NIP) vaccine specifications for children under 6 years of age and implement an immunization strategy for adolescents or adults against diphtheria and tetanus.
4.Annual review of clinical research on lung transplantation worldwide in 2025
Linxi LIU ; Jingchen XU ; Rui YANG ; Xinchen JIANG ; Ting DENG ; Ling ZHOU ; Kaiyue YANG ; Xiaohan JIN ; Zhiqiang DENG ; Xiangyun ZHENG ; Dong TIAN
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(4):574-581
Lung transplantation is currently the only effective treatment for end-stage lung disease. However, the field of lung transplantation still faces numerous challenges, including donor shortage, primary graft dysfunction, rejection, infection and others. In 2025, scholars worldwide have made remarkable progress in clinical research on lung transplantation. This article systematically reviews the cutting-edge developments in clinical research on lung transplantation in 2025, focusing on the application of novel evaluation tools in donor lung screening, optimization of lung perfusion techniques, exploration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, as well as mechanistic research and intervention strategies for primary graft dysfunction, acute kidney injury and chronic lung allograft dysfunction. Meanwhile, hot topics such as the management of special populations, prevention and control of postoperative infections, and improvement of quality of life are summarized. This review aims to conclude the important annual research findings and provide references for the clinical practice and research development of lung transplantation in China.
5.A qualitative study on the medical experience of caregivers of adolescent depression
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(5):588-595
ObjectiveTo explore the medical experience of caregivers of adolescent depression. MethodsIn-depth interviews were conducted with 35 caregivers of hospitalized adolescents with depression undergoing treatment, to explore their experiences and feelings during their children’s medical treatment. The Colaizzi phenomenological seven-step analysis method was employed to summarize and extract themes. ResultsA total of five themes were extracted, including the transformation of attitude towards the disease from denial to acceptance; the treatment process failing to meet expectations; complex emotional experiences featuring the coexistence of hope and disappointment; negative feedback regarding communication with medical staff; difficulties in accessing medical services, and the expectation for more assistance. ConclusionCaregivers lack sufficient knowledge about the disease during their children’s medical-seeking process, the disease treatment process fails to meet expectations, and there is negative feedback regarding communication with medical staff. Overall, medical experience is complex, and current medical services still have deficiencies. It is urgent to pay attention to the medical experiences of caregivers, enhance their disease cognition, standardize the diagnosis and treatment process, improve the effect of doctor-patient communication, expand multi-channel medical-seeking methods, and further meet the needs of patients and caregivers.
6.Long-chain acylcarnitine deficiency promotes hepatocarcinogenesis.
Kaifeng WANG ; Zhixian LAN ; Heqi ZHOU ; Rong FAN ; Huiyi CHEN ; Hongyan LIANG ; Qiuhong YOU ; Xieer LIANG ; Ge ZENG ; Rui DENG ; Yu LAN ; Sheng SHEN ; Peng CHEN ; Jinlin HOU ; Pengcheng BU ; Jian SUN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(3):1383-1396
Despite therapy with potent antiviral agents, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remain at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While metabolites have been rediscovered as active drivers of biological processes including carcinogenesis, the specific metabolites modulating HCC risk in CHB patients are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that baseline plasma from CHB patients who later developed HCC during follow-up exhibits growth-promoting properties in a case-control design nested within a large-scale, prospective cohort. Metabolomics analysis reveals a reduction in long-chain acylcarnitines (LCACs) in the baseline plasma of patients with HCC development. LCACs preferentially inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro at a physiological concentration and prevent the occurrence of HCC in vivo without hepatorenal toxicity. Uptake and metabolism of circulating LCACs increase the intracellular level of acetyl coenzyme A, which upregulates histone H3 Lys14 acetylation at the promoter region of KLF6 gene and thereby activates KLF6/p21 pathway. Indeed, blocking LCAC metabolism attenuates the difference in KLF6/p21 expression induced by baseline plasma of HCC/non-HCC patients. The deficiency of circulating LCACs represents a driver of HCC in CHB patients with viral control. These insights provide a promising direction for developing therapeutic strategies to reduce HCC risk further in the antiviral era.
7.Expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of cemental tear.
Ye LIANG ; Hongrui LIU ; Chengjia XIE ; Yang YU ; Jinlong SHAO ; Chunxu LV ; Wenyan KANG ; Fuhua YAN ; Yaping PAN ; Faming CHEN ; Yan XU ; Zuomin WANG ; Yao SUN ; Ang LI ; Lili CHEN ; Qingxian LUAN ; Chuanjiang ZHAO ; Zhengguo CAO ; Yi LIU ; Jiang SUN ; Zhongchen SONG ; Lei ZHAO ; Li LIN ; Peihui DING ; Weilian SUN ; Jun WANG ; Jiang LIN ; Guangxun ZHU ; Qi ZHANG ; Lijun LUO ; Jiayin DENG ; Yihuai PAN ; Jin ZHAO ; Aimei SONG ; Hongmei GUO ; Jin ZHANG ; Pingping CUI ; Song GE ; Rui ZHANG ; Xiuyun REN ; Shengbin HUANG ; Xi WEI ; Lihong QIU ; Jing DENG ; Keqing PAN ; Dandan MA ; Hongyu ZHAO ; Dong CHEN ; Liangjun ZHONG ; Gang DING ; Wu CHEN ; Quanchen XU ; Xiaoyu SUN ; Lingqian DU ; Ling LI ; Yijia WANG ; Xiaoyuan LI ; Qiang CHEN ; Hui WANG ; Zheng ZHANG ; Mengmeng LIU ; Chengfei ZHANG ; Xuedong ZHOU ; Shaohua GE
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):61-61
Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans
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Dental Cementum/injuries*
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Consensus
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Diagnosis, Differential
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Cone-Beam Computed Tomography
;
Tooth Fractures/therapy*
8.Association of serum potassium trajectory with 30-day death risk in patients with sepsis in intensive care unit: a retrospective cohort study.
Shaoxu DENG ; Rui HUANG ; Fei XIA ; Tian ZHANG ; Longjiu ZHANG ; Jiangquan FU
Chinese Critical Care Medicine 2025;37(4):324-330
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the relationship between the trajectories of serum potassium changes after intensive care unit (ICU) admission and 30-day death risk in patients with sepsis.
METHODS:
A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including adult patients with sepsis admitted to the comprehensive ICU, medical intensive care unit (MICU) and emergency intensive care unit (EICU) of Guizhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital from January 2020 to January 2024. The patients who had a minimum of 5 days' hospitalisation in the ICU and who had at least 7 consecutive days of the serum potassium measurements were classified into five trajectories groups according to group-based trajectory modelling (GBTM) using SAS software. This was based on tendency changes in serum potassium levels in patients after admission to the ICU, which was categorized as follows: slowly increased from a low level group, slowly increased from a medium level of normal range group, slowly decreased from a medium level of normal range group, slowly decreased from a high level group, and slowly increased from a high level of normal range group. The patient's gender, age, medical history, and white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), procalcitonin (PCT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), blood sodium, and serum creatinine (SCr) at the time of admission to the ICU were collected. At the same time, the patient's worst sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score within 24 hours of admission to the ICU, length of ICU stay, and 30-day outcome were record. The differences in clinical data among different groups of patients were compared. The 30-day cumulative survival rates of the various serum potassium trajectories were plotted using Kaplan-Meier survival curves, the groups were then compared using the Log-Rank test. A multivariate Cox proportional risk regression analysis was developed to evaluate the independent effect of serum potassium trajectory on 30-day death risk.
RESULTS:
Finally, 342 ICU sepsis patients were enrolled, of which 42 patients in the slowly increased from a low level group (12.28%), 127 patients in the slowly increased from a medium level of normal range group (37.14%), 118 patients in the slowly decreased from a medium level of normal range group (34.50%), 28 patients in the slowly decreased from a high level group (8.19%), and 27 patients in the slowly increased from a high level of normal range group (7.89%). Except for age and APTT differences, there were no statistically significant differences in other clinical characteristics among the patients in the different serum potassium trajectories groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that there was statistically significant difference in the 30-day cumulative survival rate among the patients in the different serum potassium trajectories groups (Log-Rank test: χ2 = 14.696, P = 0.005), with the lowest in the slowly increased from a high level of normal range group (39.3%). Multivariate Cox proportional risk regression analysis showed that the patients with the serum potassium trajectory of slowly increased from a high level of normal range had the highest 30-day death risk [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.341, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.049-5.226, P = 0.038]. This association persisted after adjustment for variables such as gender, age, medical history, SOFA score, WBC, PLT, PCT, APTT, PT, blood sodium, and SCr (HR = 3.058, 95%CI was 1.249-7.488, P = 0.014).
CONCLUSION
Compared with the patients whose serum potassium fluctuated within the normal range, the sepsis patients in the ICU with a serum potassium trajectory that slowly increased from a high level of normal range had a significantly higher 30-day death risk.
Humans
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Retrospective Studies
;
Intensive Care Units
;
Sepsis/blood*
;
Potassium/blood*
;
Male
;
Female
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Middle Aged
;
Aged
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Risk Factors
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Hospital Mortality
;
Prognosis
9.Ethical risks and avoidance approaches of artificial intelligence-generated content technology in achieving the “resurrection” of the deceased
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(9):1171-1176
With the advancement of science and technology and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, intelligent and digitalized lifestyles have become the norm. AI-generated content (AIGC) has entered people’s lives and shown a blowout development trend. As a major output of AIGC, virtual digital humans have evolved from being “unbearable to look at” to being “indistinguishable” from real humans, exerting multiple impacts on people’s lives to a certain extent. AIGC and virtual digital humans can bring spiritual comfort to users, drive technological progress, and promote social stability. Meanwhile, they also face a series of risks, such as infringement behaviors of portraits, data privacy risks, and the alienation of human nature. This paper proposed solutions from various aspects, such as legal and technical supervision, embedding ethical standards into technology development, raising the market thresholds, and strengthening public publicity, striving to guide science and technology towards good.
10.A qualitative study on the experience of sense of debt among family caregivers of adolescents with depression under the Confucian family view
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(10):1275-1283
ObjectiveTo explore the experience of sense of debt among family caregivers of adolescents with depression, and to conduct a cultural interpretation on the underlying reasons behind the sense of debt from the perspective of the Confucian family view. MethodsA semi-structured interview was conducted on 29 parents (family caregivers) of adolescents with depression regarding the sense of debt they experienced during their caregiving process. The interview data were organized using NVivo 12 software. ResultsThree first-level themes were extracted: dilemma of debt and self-blame, conflict and pressure, as well as seeking compensation. Under the theme of“the dilemma of debt and self-blame”, there are four sub-themes: insufficient companionship, control in the name of love, powerlessness, and venting outlets. Under the theme of“contradictions and pressures”, there are three sub-themes: conflicts between work and family, divergences among family members, and pressures from social evaluations. Under the theme of“seeking compensation”, there are three sub-themes: material satisfaction, taking leave or resigning from work, and changing family education methods. ConclusionThe sense of debt is a specific psychological experience under the Confucian cultural background. The responsibilities and obligations among members in traditional families are the deep reasons for the sense of debt. As a conscious moral constraint, debt has certain positive significance in maintaining member relationships and family life.


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