1.Discussion on Scientific Connotation of Vital Qi Strengthening for Detoxification Therapy in Treatment of Community-acquired Pneumonia Based on Theory of "Vital Qi Deficiency and Toxic Stasis"
Hanxiao WANG ; Zheyu LUAN ; Haotian XU ; Xin PENG ; Ziming DANG ; Kun YANG ; Qianqian WANG ; Jihong FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):226-234
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) refers to an infectious inflammation of the lung parenchyma (including the alveolar wall,that is,the broad pulmonary interstitium) acquired outside the hospital. Its common pathogens include streptococcus pneumoniae,respiratory viruses, mycoplasma pneumoniae, and so on. The related factors for the occurrence and development of CAP include patient characteristics (immune function,mucus production and clearance function,coagulation function,physical condition, and comorbidity) and pathogen characteristics (susceptibility,virulence,and antibiotic resistance). The pathogenesis of CAP lies in immune deficiency,pathogen invasion,inflammatory response disorder,mucus production and clearance disorder, coagulation disorder, and so on. The pathogenesis of CAP in traditional Chinese medicine can be described as "vital Qi deficiency and toxic stasis". Vital Qi deficiency (lack of immunity) is the potential pathogenesis of the disease and easy to be invaded by external pathogens (respiratory pathogens). Toxic stasis (inflammatory disorder,mucus production and clearance disorder,and coagulation dysfunction) is the key pathogenic factor. Vital Qi deficiency and toxic stasis are intermingled in a state of deficiency and excess,which suggests that the treatment of CAP lies in strengthening vital Qi and eliminating pathogenic factors. This involves strengthening vital Qi in the whole process to consolidate body resistance and nourish promordial Qi. It also involves clearing heat,eliminating phlegm,removing dampness,and dispelling stasis to dispel pathogenic toxins based on the syndrome differentiation. Its action mechanism is to regulate immune and inflammatory responses,resist pathogens,and improve mucus production and clearance, as well as coagulation disorders. Starting from the key pathogenesis of CAP,"vital Qi deficiency and toxic stasis", this paper discussed the pathogenesis of CAP and summarized the action mechanism of vital Qi strengthening for detoxification in its treatment. It is intended to complement the theoretical system by identifying "vital Qi deficiency and toxic stasis" as the key pathogenesis underlying CAP and the scientific connotation of treating CAP with vital Qi strengthening for detoxification,thereby providing insights for its clinical application.
2.Research advances and challenges in antimicrobial resistance surveillance technologies
Feng LIU ; Caixia DANG ; Ziqian ZHAO ; Yang WANG ; Yuanyong XU ; Hui CHEN
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2026;37(3):128-132
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a critical global health threat. This review systematically examines AMR surveillance technology advances, from conventional culture methods to modern molecular diagnostics (e.g., whole-genome sequencing) and artificial intelligence-assisted approaches. It focuses on the current application of mass spectrometry, machine learning predictive models, and real-time surveillance networks. To address challenges including inadequate technical standardization, clinical translation barriers, and data-sharing limitations, we propose integrated "genotype-phenotype" strategies and global standardization framework, while exploring future applications of CRISPR-based portable detection, single-cell sequencing, and blockchain technologies.
3.Effect of Acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) on Improving Autism by Promoting Myelination Through The METTL14/m⁶A/PTEN Axis Based on “Xuanfu-Suiqiao” Theory
Wei-Li DANG ; Lü-Yuan LIANG ; Yu-Xin LI ; Zhi-Yao LI ; Sai-Dan LIU ; Jia-Lei CAO ; Rong-Ze MA ; Yun-Kai WANG ; Xiao-Qing YANG ; Bing-Qi WEI ; Bing-Xiang MA
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1165-1177
ObjectiveTo clarify whether METTL14 mediates the core role of acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) in promoting myelination and improving behavior in young autistic rats through gene intervention technology. MethodsThe ASD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of valproic acid (VPA) in pregnant rats. Male offspring were intracerebroventricularly injected with adenovirus-packaged METTL14 shRNA (sh-METTL14) or its control (sh-NC) on postnatal day 1, with a model group set as well. Subsequently, the juvenile rats were divided into model group, acupuncture group, acupuncture+sh-NC group, and acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group. The acupuncture group received acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) from postnatal day 7, once daily for 21 consecutive days. Neurobehavioral changes were evaluated by behavioral tests; METTL14 knockdown efficiency and the expression of METTL14, METTL3, and PTEN were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB); PTEN m6A levels were measured by RNA immunoprecipitation-qPCR (RIP-qPCR); myelin ultrastructure, expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and neurofascin 155 (NF155), and dendritic spine density were observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and primary neuron culture. ResultsBehaviorally, knockdown of METTL14 significantly counteracted the beneficial effects of acupuncture in improving self-grooming, open field exploration, three-chamber social interaction, and Morris water maze learning and memory (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the acupuncture+sh-NC group, the acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group showed significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of hippocampal METTL14 (P<0.01), and the upregulating effects of acupuncture on METTL3 and PTEN expression were reversed (P<0.01). Meanwhile, knockdown of METTL14 significantly inhibited the acupuncture-induced increase in PTEN m6A levels (P<0.01). Morphologically, knockdown of METTL14 attenuated the improvement of myelin structure by acupuncture, reversed the downregulation of MBP and upregulation of NF155 induced by acupuncture, and blocked the increase in dendritic spine density (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionMETTL14 is a key molecule mediating the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Neiguan. Acupuncture at Neiguan upregulates METTL14, thereby enhancing m6A methylation modification of PTEN mRNA to stabilize its expression, ultimately promoting myelin development and improving behavioral symptoms in ASD juvenile rats. This preliminarily reveals the modern biological connotation of “opening Xuanfu and dredging myelin”.
4.Effect of Acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) on Improving Autism by Promoting Myelination Through The METTL14/m⁶A/PTEN Axis Based on “Xuanfu-Suiqiao” Theory
Wei-Li DANG ; Lü-Yuan LIANG ; Yu-Xin LI ; Zhi-Yao LI ; Sai-Dan LIU ; Jia-Lei CAO ; Rong-Ze MA ; Yun-Kai WANG ; Xiao-Qing YANG ; Bing-Qi WEI ; Bing-Xiang MA
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1165-1177
ObjectiveTo clarify whether METTL14 mediates the core role of acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) in promoting myelination and improving behavior in young autistic rats through gene intervention technology. MethodsThe ASD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of valproic acid (VPA) in pregnant rats. Male offspring were intracerebroventricularly injected with adenovirus-packaged METTL14 shRNA (sh-METTL14) or its control (sh-NC) on postnatal day 1, with a model group set as well. Subsequently, the juvenile rats were divided into model group, acupuncture group, acupuncture+sh-NC group, and acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group. The acupuncture group received acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) from postnatal day 7, once daily for 21 consecutive days. Neurobehavioral changes were evaluated by behavioral tests; METTL14 knockdown efficiency and the expression of METTL14, METTL3, and PTEN were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB); PTEN m6A levels were measured by RNA immunoprecipitation-qPCR (RIP-qPCR); myelin ultrastructure, expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and neurofascin 155 (NF155), and dendritic spine density were observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and primary neuron culture. ResultsBehaviorally, knockdown of METTL14 significantly counteracted the beneficial effects of acupuncture in improving self-grooming, open field exploration, three-chamber social interaction, and Morris water maze learning and memory (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the acupuncture+sh-NC group, the acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group showed significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of hippocampal METTL14 (P<0.01), and the upregulating effects of acupuncture on METTL3 and PTEN expression were reversed (P<0.01). Meanwhile, knockdown of METTL14 significantly inhibited the acupuncture-induced increase in PTEN m6A levels (P<0.01). Morphologically, knockdown of METTL14 attenuated the improvement of myelin structure by acupuncture, reversed the downregulation of MBP and upregulation of NF155 induced by acupuncture, and blocked the increase in dendritic spine density (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionMETTL14 is a key molecule mediating the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Neiguan. Acupuncture at Neiguan upregulates METTL14, thereby enhancing m6A methylation modification of PTEN mRNA to stabilize its expression, ultimately promoting myelin development and improving behavioral symptoms in ASD juvenile rats. This preliminarily reveals the modern biological connotation of “opening Xuanfu and dredging myelin”.
5.Application status of the model organism zebrafish in radiation medicine research
Juancong DONG ; Jingjie WANG ; Jinhuan YU ; Jiao CHENG ; Xuhong DANG ; Guodong YANG
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2025;33(1):141-148
As a model organism that bridges the gap between cells and traditional mammals,the zebrafish has broad application prospects in radiation medicine research.Among its unique advantages are its characteristics of a high homology with human genes,high fertility,short embryonic period,and transparent and easy to observe embryos,making it an important tool in radiation medicine research.Recently,remarkable progress has been made in the application of zebrafish to investigate low-dose radiation biological effects,radiation therapy,and radiation damage prevention and treatment,key areas of radiation medicine.In this paper,these applications are reviewed;we explore the value of zebrafish in radiation medicine research and provide a reference for experimental research in related fields.
6.Clinical value of evaluation of anatomical position of inferior mesenteric artery and vein as well as left colic artery in laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal
Bo ZHANG ; Tao WU ; Shuai ZHOU ; Ling DANG ; Jiaxing HE ; Ying YANG ; Zhuo HAN ; Longlong ZHENG ; Nan WANG
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2025;24(6):754-761
Objective:To investigate the clinical value of laparoscopic evaluation of anato-mical position of inferior mesenteric artery (IMA), inferior mesenteric vein (IMV) and left colic artery (LCA).Methods:The prospective one-arm study was conducted. The clinical data of 229 pati-ents who underwent laparoscopic left hemicolectomy for left colon or laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from December 2022 to December 2023 were selected. The distance between the origin point of IMA and the origin point of the first branch (L1) as well as the distance from the origin point of LCA root to the junction of LCA and IMV (L2) were measured during the operation. IMA classification, the location relation-ship of LCA and IMV junction were recorded. Observation indicators: (1) situations of enrolled patients; (2) difference analysis between L1, L2 and clinical features; (3) distribution characteristics of the location relationship between LCA and IMV in different types of IMA. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution between groups, Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups, and Dunn-Bonferroni test was used for pairwise comparison. Comparison of count data between groups was performed by chi-square test. Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis was conducted for correlation of continuous variables. Results:(1) Situations of enrolled patients. A total of 229 eligible patients were screened out, including 146 males and 83 females, aged 64(range, 55-71)years. The height of 229 patients was 168(range, 160-172)cm, the weight was 65.0(55.5,71.5)kg, the body surface area was (1.68±0.17)m 2, the tumor maximum diameter was 3.0(2.5,4.0)cm. The total number of lymph nodes dissected was 19(17,21), and the number of No.253 lymph node dissected was 4(3,5). The L1 was 3.50(1.20,8.00)cm, and the L2 was 2.20(0.50,7.30)cm. There were 58, 31, 32, 71, 22, 90, 26 and 212 patients with smoking, alcohol drinking, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, neoadjuvant chemo-therapy, neoadjuvant radiotherapy and preservation of the LCA, respectively. Among 229 patients, cases with BMI <18.5 kg/m 2, 18.5-23.9 kg/m 2 and >23.9 kg/m 2 were 11, 133 and 85, respectively. There were 153 cases in pathological stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ and 76 cases in stage Ⅲ. There were 168 cases of Dixon operation, 6 cases of Miles operation and 55 cases of sigmoid colon resection. There were 135 cases of IMA type 1, 44 cases of IMA type 2, 23 cases of IMA type 3, 2 cases of IMA type 4, and 25 cases of IMA type unable to judge. (2) Difference analysis between L1, L2 and clinical features.Correlation analysis showed negative correlation between the height, body surface area and L1 ( r=-0.17, -0.15, P<0.05). The L1 was 3.20(2.68,4.00)cm for male patients and 3.60(3.00,4.20)cm for female patients, respectively, showing a significant difference between the two groups ( Z=-2.37, P<0.05). The L1 of patients with IMA type 1, 2, and 3 was 3.20(2.80,4.00)cm, 3.85(3.00,4.48)cm, and 3.20(2.50,4.30)cm, respectively, showing a significant difference among them ( H=7.54, P<0.05). Further pairwise com-parison showed that there was a significant difference in L1 between patients with IMA type 2 and those with IMA type 1 ( P<0.05). The L2 of smokers and non-smokers were 2.50(1.95,3.20)cm and 2.20(1.60,2.80)cm, respectively, showing a significant difference between the two groups ( Z=-2.24, P<0.05). (3)Distribution characteristics of the location relationship between LCA and IMV in different types of IMA. There was no significant difference in LCA distribution between the anterior and posterior positions of IMV among the three IMA types (type 1, 2, 3) ( χ2=1.63, P>0.05). Conclusions:Patients with greater height have larger body surface area and shorter L1. L1 is significantly longer in female patients than in male patients. L1 is significantly longer in patients with IMA type 2 than in those with type 1. L2 is significantly longer in smokers than in non-smokers. There was no significant difference in the distribution location between LCA and IMV among patients of IMA type 1, 2 and 3.
7.Aberrant fragmentomic features of circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA enable early detection and prognosis prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma
Yang LIU ; Fan PENG ; Siyuan WANG ; Huanmin JIAO ; Kaixiang ZHOU ; Wenjie GUO ; Shanshan GUO ; Miao DANG ; Huanqin ZHANG ; Weizheng ZHOU ; Xu GUO ; Jinliang XING
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(1):196-212
Background/Aims:
Early detection and effective prognosis prediction in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) provide an avenue for survival improvement, yet more effective approaches are greatly needed. We sought to develop the detection and prognosis models with ultra-sensitivity and low cost based on fragmentomic features of circulating cell free mtDNA (ccf-mtDNA).
Methods:
Capture-based mtDNA sequencing was carried out in plasma cell-free DNA samples from 1168 participants, including 571 patients with HCC, 301 patients with chronic hepatitis B or liver cirrhosis (CHB/LC) and 296 healthy controls (HC).
Results:
The systematic analysis revealed significantly aberrant fragmentomic features of ccf-mtDNA in HCC group when compared with CHB/LC and HC groups. Moreover, we constructed a random forest algorithm-based HCC detection model by utilizing ccf-mtDNA fragmentomic features. Both internal and two external validation cohorts demonstrated the excellent capacity of our model in distinguishing early HCC patients from HC and highrisk population with CHB/LC, with AUC exceeding 0.983 and 0.981, sensitivity over 89.6% and 89.61%, and specificity over 98.20% and 95.00%, respectively, greatly surpassing the performance of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and mtDNA copy number. We also developed an HCC prognosis prediction model by LASSO-Cox regression to select 20 fragmentomic features, which exhibited exceptional ability in predicting 1-year, 2-year and 3-year survival (AUC=0.8333, 0.8145 and 0.7958 for validation cohort, respectively).
Conclusions
We have developed and validated a high-performing and low-cost approach in a large clinical cohort based on aberrant ccf-mtDNA fragmentomic features with promising clinical translational application for the early detection and prognosis prediction of HCC patients.
8.Prevalence of frailty and importance of influencing factors in adults in Shaanxi Province
Zongkai LI ; Yan HUANG ; Ziping WANG ; Hui JING ; Yuxin TENG ; Yezhou LIU ; Yuan SHEN ; Qiang LI ; Baibing MI ; Jiaomei YANG ; Hong YAN ; Shaonong DANG
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(1):131-139
Objective:To understand the prevalence of frailty and the importance of its influencing factors in adult population in Shaanxi Province.Methods:The data were from Shaanxi baseline survey of natural population cohort study in northwest China during 2018-2019. The frailty index (FI) was constructed to evaluate the frailty status of the population, and XGboost model combined with Shapley method was used to analyze the importance of the sociodemographic and life behavior factors affecting the prevalence of frailty by gender and age.Results:A total of 25 079 subjects were included, in whom 964 (3.8%) had frailty, and there was no significant difference in the overall prevalence of frailty between women (3.9%) and men (3.8%) ( P=0.629), but there was a gender specific difference in the distribution of FI ( P<0.001), and the proportion of the pre-frailty in men was higher than that in women. The prevalence of frailty increased with age ( P<0.001), the prevalence of frailty were 1.3%, 2.5% and 7.8% in young, middle-aged and elderly women, respectively, and 1.9%, 2.7% and 5.5% in young, middle-aged and elderly men, respectively. Sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle patterns were both influencing factors for the prevalence of frailty, but their importance varied with gender and age. The top five contributing factors were education level, staying up late, annual family income level, sedentary time and marital status in young women, and staying up late, smoking, annual family income level, sedentary time and drinking in young men. The top five contributing factors were education level, annual family income level, passive exposure to smoking, staying up late, and sedentary time in middle-aged women, and annual family income level, education level, sedentary time, staying up late and drinking in middle-aged men. The top five contributing factors were annual family income level, passive exposure to smoking, sedentary time, marital status, and smartphone use in elderly women, and education level, annual family income level, smoking, smartphone use and sedentary time in elderly men. Conclusions:There are gender specific differences in the distribution of FI in Shaanxi. The prevalence of frailty increased with age, but young and middle-aged people also have frailty risk. The prevalence of frailty in young men was mainly related to unhealthy life behaviors, such as staying up late, smoking, sedentary behavior and drinking, while the prevalence of frailty in middle-aged and elderly men and women were more affected by sociodemographic factors, such as education level, economic status and marital status.
9.Clinical Observation of Modified Zhigancao Tang in Treating Patients with Liver and Kidney Deficiency of Parkinson's Disease and Its Effect on Neuronal Signal-related Proteins
Yifo WEI ; Furong LYU ; Jia YAO ; Guonian LI ; Xianyi LUO ; Meng LUO ; Zhengzheng WEN ; Qiuqi LI ; Yihan LIU ; Linlin YANG ; Rui ZUO ; Wenxin DANG ; Fang MI ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Zhigang CHEN ; Fan LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):166-173
ObjectiveMicrotube associated protein-2 (MAP-2), alpha-tubulin (α-tubulin), and synaptophysin (SYP) are important proteins in neuronal signal communication. This paper observed the effects of modified Zhigancao Tang on the expression of serum α-Synuclein (α-Syn) and its oligomers, MAP-2, α-tubulin, and SYP of patients with liver and kidney deficiency of Parkinson's disease (PD), analyzed their correlation, and evaluated the therapeutic effect of modified Zhigancao Tang in patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD based on α-Syn transmission pathway mediated by neuronal communication in vivo. MethodsA total of 60 patients with PD who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a treatment group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases). Both groups were treated on the basis of PD medicine, and the treatment group was treated with modified Zhigancao Tang. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The changes in UPDRS score, TCM syndrome score, and expression of serum α-Syn and its oligomers, MAP-2, α-tubulin, and SYP were observed before and after 12 weeks of treatment in each group. The correlation between the above-mentioned serum biological indexes and the levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers was analyzed. ResultsAfter treatment, the TCM syndrome score, UPDRS score, UPDRS-Ⅱ score, and UPDRS-Ⅲ score of the treatment group were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The UPDRS score, UPDRS-Ⅱ score, and UPDRS-Ⅲ scores in the treatment group were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate of the control group was 63.3% (19/30), and that of the treatment group was 86.7% (26/30). The clinical effect of the observation group was better than the control group (Z=-2.03, P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was better than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=5.136, P<0.05). After treatment, the oligomer level of serum α-Syn and MAP-2 level in the treatment group were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers, as well as α-tubulin in the treatment group, were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). Serum α-Syn was correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-Syn oligomer in patients with PD (P<0.05, P<0.01) but not correlated with serum SYP . Serum α-Syn oligomers of patients with PD were correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-tubulin (P<0.05, P<0.01) but not correlated with serum SYP level. Serum SYP of patients with PD was correlated with serum MAP-2 (P<0.05). ConclusionModified Zhigancao Tang has a therapeutic effect on patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD by inhibiting the production of α-Syn oligomers and intervening α-Syn microtubule transport pathway in vivo.
10.Research Progress in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pancreatic Acinar Cell Carcinoma
Wenfei LI ; Yuan XIE ; Liyang MO ; Junjie DANG ; Qi WANG ; Yang YANG ; Qiuying SUN ; Zhenping WEN ; Sai GE ; Xiaotian ZHANG
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(4):437-445
Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PACC) is a rare exocrine tumor of the pancreas with distinct clinical and pathological features. In recent years, advancements in molecular biology techniques have led to a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying PACC. Progress in imaging, endoscopic, and molecular diagnostic technologies has improved the early detection rate of PACC. The primary treatment modalities for PACC include surgical resection, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy; however, the therapeutic efficacy still requires further improvement. This article reviews the current research status of PACC, covering its epidemiology, pathological characteristics, molecular alterations, diagnostic methods, and treatment strategies, and discusses the controversies and future directions in PACC research.


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