1.Inheritance and Current Research Status of Major Spleen-Stomach Theories in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Ling HU ; Fengyun WANG ; Xudong TANG ; Beihua ZHANG ; Yunkai DAI ; Xu CHEN ; Shiqi LI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(1):87-94
This paper systematically reviews the core concepts and lines of theoretical inheritance of major spleen-stomach theories in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including spleen deficiency theory, spleen-stomach damp-heat theory, and liver-spleen disharmony theory. It is found that these theories have all undergone a developmental trajectory characterized by classical foundation, refinement of therapeutic methods, systematization of pathogenesis, and modern innovation. The evolution of spleen-stomach theory has achieved a shift from a singular focus on tonifying the spleen to regulating dynamic middle-jiao (焦) balance, and from localized spleen-stomach regulation to the circular movement of qi involving all five zang organs. In terms of modern disease-syndrome integrative research, spleen deficiency syndrome is shown to be closely associated with impairment of the gastrointestinal mucosal barrier, metabolic disorders, and gene polymorphisms related to Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric diseases. Spleen-stomach damp-heat syndrome is closely linked to hyperactive energy metabolism, inflammatory cytokines, and abnormal expression of aquaporins. Liver-spleen disharmony syndrome is mainly associated with dysregulation of the brain-gut axis and microbiota-related metabolic disorders. It is proposed that future research on spleen-stomach diseases and syndromes should further elucidate their potential multidimensional differential biological characteristics, thereby promoting the modernization of the TCM discipline of spleen-stomach studies.
2.Research progress and clinical application prospects of heparin-binding protein in organ transplantation
Chengchang ZHANG ; Ruozhu LI ; Yeqiming WANG ; Chen DAI
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(1):51-60
Heparin-binding protein (HBP) is a pro-inflammatory granule protein released by activated neutrophils, known for its role in modulating vascular permeability and its pathological significance in infectious diseases. In recent years, HBP has garnered attention due to its immune-activating effects in contexts such as sepsis, acute lung injury and organ transplantation. It has been proposed as a potential biomarker for early detection of infection and inflammation. While preliminary progress has been made in animal studies, clinical evidence remains limited. Therefore, this article focuses on the mechanism of action of HBP in transplantation-related complications, explores its potential pathways for predicting infection risk, mediating ischemia-reperfusion injury and rejection, and evaluates the feasibility of intervention strategies such as neutralizing antibodies, heparin derivatives and albumin. The pivotal role of HBP in regulating inflammatory responses post-transplant may offer a novel target for postoperative infection monitoring and personalized therapeutic interventions.
3.TCM Treatment of Sarcopenia Based on PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway: A Review
Yan CHEN ; Ting DAI ; Changsheng GUO ; Zhihai FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):316-326
Sarcopenia is a systemic skeletal muscle disease characterized by the gradual decline of muscle mass,strength,and function,and its occurrence and development are related to multiple factors,involving several signaling pathways. Among them,the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway,as a key pathway regulating cellular growth,survival,and metabolism,plays an important role in the formation and development of sarcopenia. Its abnormal activation or deactivation may lead to an imbalance in muscle protein metabolism,resulting in muscle atrophy and reduction. Modern medicine is still in the exploratory stage of treatment for sarcopenia. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM),with its multi-pathway and multi-target characteristics,has shown increasing advantages in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. In recent years,various monomers, extracts,and compound formulas of TCM have been proven to effectively prevent and treat sarcopenia by promoting muscle cell protein synthesis,reducing protein degradation,inhibiting cell apoptosis and inflammatory response,and improving mitochondrial function. This paper reviewed the improvement effects of TCM on sarcopenia based on the PI3K/Akt pathway and explored its specific action mechanisms, aiming to provide new insights for the treatment of sarcopenia with TCM.
4.Cyclocarya paliurus Polysaccharide Inhibits Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Reducing 5α-Reductase 2
Qinhui DAI ; Mengxia YAN ; Chen WANG ; Chenjun SHEN ; Chenying JIANG ; Bo YANG ; Huajun ZHAO ; Zhihui ZHU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):107-114
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of polysaccharide in water extract of Cyclocarya paliurus (CPWP) in inhibiting benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). MethodsCPWP was obtained by heating reflux, aqueous extraction, alcohol precipitation, and freeze drying. The chemical composition and structural properties of CPWP were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with 1-pheny-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone pre-column derivatization and infrared spectroscopy. Male SD rats were randomly assigned into control, model, finasteride (ig 5 mg·kg-1), and low-, medium-, and high-dose (ig 50, 75, 100 mg·kg-1) CPWP groups, with 8 rats in each group. The BPH model was established by subcutaneously injecting propionate testosterone in castrated rats. The rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding drugs, and those in the control group were administrated with an equal volume of normal saline each day. After 30 consecutive days, the rats were sacrificed, and the prostate tissue was separated and weighed. The effects of drug interventions on the body weight, prostate wet weight, and prostate index of rats were examined. The prostate tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) for observation of pathological changes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the level of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of steroid 5 alpha-reductase 2 (SRD5A2) and Ki67 in the prostate tissue. ResultsCPWP was identified as a saccharide, with characteristic absorption peaks of saccharides. CPWP showed the total sugar content of 44.15% and molecular weight within the range of 5.5-78.8 kDa, being composed of mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose, and arabinose. Compared with the control group, the model group had significantly increased prostate wet weight and prostate index (P<0.01), thick and tall prostate epithelial cells, increased internal wrinkles, papillary expansion into the cavity, an elevation in DHT level in the serum, and up-regulated expression of SRD5A2 and Ki67 in the prostate tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, both the finasteride and CPWP groups showed decreases in prostate wet weight and prostate index (P<0.05, P<0.01), thinned prostate epithelial cells, with only a small portion of internal wrinkles and papillary expansion into the cavity, shortened papillary protrusions, lowered DHT level in the serum, and down-regulated expression of SRD5A2 and Ki67 in the prostate tissue (P<0.01). Moreover, CPWP exerted effects in a dose-dependent manner. ConclusionCPWP inhibits BPH by regulating the expression of SRD5A2.
5.Metabolomics analysis of the lumbar spine after alendronate sodium intervention in ovariectomized rats with osteoporosis
Xinfei CHEN ; Yahui DAI ; Bingying XIE ; Xiaobin HUANG ; Huimin HUANG ; Jingwen HUANG ; Shengqiang LI ; Jirong GE
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(11):2277-2284
BACKGROUND:Studies have reported that alendronate intake significantly increases bone mineral density in patients with osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE:To analyze and compare the changes in metabolites before and after alendronate intervention in ovariectomized rats by chromatography-mass spectrometry,and to further explore the specific mechanism and target of alendronate in the treatment of osteoporosis. METHODS:A total of 36 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into model group,alendronate sodium group and sham operation group.The osteoporosis model was established by ovariectomy in the first two groups.Four weeks after modeling,the rats in the alendronate group were intragastrically given alendronate sodium,while those in the sham operation group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline.After 12 weeks of continuous gavage,the metabolites of the lumbar spine were analyzed by chromatography-mass spectrometry,and the common differential metabolites were obtained,which were analyzed by bioinformatics such as Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia pathway. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Totally 17 different metabolites were obtained in the three groups.The enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes showed that alendronate sodium could regulate unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis,linoleic acid metabolism and other pathways to protect ovariectomized rats.These results indicate that alendronate sodium may exert its anti-osteoporosis effect by interfering with unsaturated fatty acid bioanabolism and linoleic acid metabolism,so as to achieve the purpose of preventing osteoporosis
6.Application of Zebrafish in Quality Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Jiaqi LI ; Xiaolu CHEN ; Jiarui WU ; Xiaoyu TAO ; Qiqi FAN ; Shengyun DAI ; Chongjun ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):58-70
As a new type of model organism, zebrafish is gradually gaining prominence in the field of scientific research. The unique biological characteristics and advantages of zebrafish make them play an increasingly important role in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine. Compared with other common experimental animals, zebrafish have a fast reproductive and growth speed and high embryo transparency, making them an ideal model for evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. This provides a new perspective and method for research on traditional Chinese medicine. With the growing global interest in traditional Chinese medicine, it has become crucial to find scientific and accurate methods to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine. The introduction of the zebrafish model has brought new breakthroughs in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine. To further promote the application of zebrafish in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine, this article systematically searched and sorted out the previous studies related to the application of zebrafish for this purpose since 2023. The commonly used disease models and indicators of zebrafish in evaluating the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as the mechanism of zebrafish in exploring the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine, were primarily reviewed. The application of zebrafish in evaluating the safety of traditional Chinese medicine and the typical examples in ensuring the quality of traditional Chinese medicine were demonstrated. The limitations encountered by zebrafish models in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine were highlighted. The resolution of these problems will help further improve the accuracy and reliability of zebrafish in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. The article discussed the evaluation of effectiveness, safety, and quality control of zebrafish applied in traditional Chinese medicine, so as to provide a reference for establishing standards for traditional Chinese medicine and promoting its modernization in the future.
7.Novel outpatient infusion model of blinatumomab: case studies of two patients
Guijun LI ; Xuemei JIANG ; Xin WANG ; Qiuxia XU ; Jianhui LI ; Susi DAI ; Ying HE ; Hai YI ; Dan CHEN
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2025;38(4):557-561
[Objective] To evaluate the feasibility of a novel outpatient infusion model for blinatumomab in two acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients, aiming to address challenges of poor treatment tolerance, high healthcare costs, and compromised quality of life, thereby providing clinical insights for broader adoption of this approach. [Methods] Two post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) patients undergoing blinatumomab maintenance therapy were selected to evaluate the efficacy of the outpatient infusion model. Patient selection criteria, nursing protocols, standardized workflows, and advancements in infusion practices were systematically analyzed combined with a review of global developments in this field. [Results] Both patients completed outpatient blinatumomab infusion without severe adverse events, demonstrating preliminary feasibility and safety of this model. The novel approach enhanced treatment convenience, reduced hospitalization costs, and improved quality of life. [Conclusion] Despite the limited sample size, this pilot study highlights the potential of outpatient blinatumomab administration as a viable alternative to traditional inpatient regimens.
8.Current status and prospects of phage therapy in lung transplantation
Zhenyu ZHANG ; Zitao WANG ; Wenjie HUA ; Zhenhang DAI ; Jingyu CHEN
Organ Transplantation 2025;16(3):489-494
Multidrug resistant organism refers to bacteria that are insensitive to three or more antibiotics commonly used in clinic, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter Baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, etc. MDRO infection is a major factor affecting the survival rate after lung transplantation (LTx), accounting for 30% of the causes of death in the first year after transplantation. Antibiotic treatment has low specificity and is prone to drug resistance. The development of new drugs has a long cycle and high cost, with significant limitations. Phage has high specificity for bacteria, which can proliferate in large quantities in the infected lesion and co-evolve with bacteria during the action process. Phage also have a good killing effect on MDRO, which is expected to make up for the deficiencies of existing antibiotic therapy. This article reviews the development background and mechanism of action of phage therapy, and summarizes its application status and early clinical trial results in the field of LTx, in order to providing new thinking paths for clinical work.
9.Synthetic MRI Combined With Clinicopathological Characteristics for Pretreatment Prediction of Chemoradiotherapy Response in Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Siyu CHEN ; Jiankun DAI ; Jing ZHAO ; Shuang HAN ; Xiaojun ZHANG ; Jun CHANG ; Donghui JIANG ; Heng ZHANG ; Peng WANG ; Shudong HU
Korean Journal of Radiology 2025;26(2):135-145
Objective:
To explore the feasibility of synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (syMRI) combined with clinicopathological characteristics for the pre-treatment prediction of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) response in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (ANPC).
Materials and Methods:
Patients with ANPC treated with CRT between September 2020 and June 2022 were retrospectively enrolled and categorized into response group (RG, n = 95) and non RGs (NRG, n = 32) based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1. The quantitative parameters from pre-treatment syMRI (longitudinal [T1] and transverse [T2] relaxation times and proton density [PD]), diffusion-weighted imaging (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]), and clinicopathological characteristics were compared between RG and NRG. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify parameters independently associated with CRT response and to construct a multivariable model. The areas under the receiveroperating characteristic curve (AUC) for various diagnostic approaches were compared using the DeLong test.
Results:
The T1, T2, and PD values in the NRG were significantly lower than those in the RG (all P < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was observed in the ADC values between these two groups. Clinicopathological characteristics (Epstein–Barr virus [EBV]-DNA level, lymph node extranodal extension, clinical stage, and Ki-67 expression) exhibited significant differences between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that T1, PD, EBV-DNA level, clinical stage, and Ki-67 expression had significant independent relationships with CRT response (all P < 0.05). The multivariable model incorporating these five variables yielded AUC, sensitivity, and specificity values of 0.974, 93.8% (30/32), and 91.6% (87/95), respectively.
Conclusion
SyMRI may be used for the pretreatment prediction of CRT response in ANPC. The multivariable model incorporating syMRI quantitative parameters and clinicopathological characteristics, which were independently associated with CRT response, may be a new tool for the pretreatment prediction of CRT response.
10.En Bloc Resection of Thoracic and Upper Lumbar Spinal Tumors Using a Novel Rotation-Reversion Technique through Posterior-Only Approach
Ming LU ; Changhe HOU ; Wei CHEN ; Zixiong LEI ; Shuangwu DAI ; Shaohua DU ; Qinglin JIN ; Dadi JIN ; Haomiao LI
Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery 2025;17(2):346-353
Background:
En bloc resection is recommended for the treatment of malignant and aggressive benign spinal tumors; however, it often requires a combined anterior-posterior approach, which is usually accompanied by longer surgical duration, increased blood loss, larger trauma, and surgical complexity. The present study describes a novel rotation-reversion technique for en bloc resection of the thoracic and upper lumbar spinal tumors using a posterior-only approach and evaluate its safety and efficacy.
Methods:
Thirteen patients with thoracic and upper lumbar (L1-L3) spinal tumors were treated with en bloc resection using the rotation-reversion technique through a posterior-only approach at our institution between 2015 and 2023. The clinical characteristics and surgical results of the patients were reviewed and analyzed.
Results:
Posterior-only en bloc resection was performed successfully in all 13 patients using the rotation-reversion technique, with a median follow-up of 30.4 months (range, 6–74 months). The average maximum size of these 13 tumors was 5.7 × 5.8 × 4.8 cm.The mean operation time and blood loss were 458.5 minutes (range, 220–880 minutes) and 3,146.2 mL (range, 1,000–6,000 mL), respectively, with 4 of the 13 patients (30.8%) experiencing perioperative complications. Negative margins were achieved in all the 13 patients (100%). One patient experienced local recurrence (7.7%) and 1 patient experienced instrumentation failures. Interbody fusion was confirmed in 11 of the 13 patients (84.6%), with a median fusion time of 6.9 months. All of the 13 patients experienced varying degrees of mild postoperative neurological deficits owing to resection of the nerve roots affected by tumor invasion of the vertebrae. No vessel injury or postoperative neurological paralysis occurred, except 1 patient who had been completely paralyzed before surgery.
Conclusions
The rotation-reversion technique is an effective procedure for en bloc resection of selected thoracic and upper lumbar spinal tumors through the posterior-only approach.

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