1.Treatment Principles and Paradigm of Diabetic Microvascular Complications Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine
Anzhu WANG ; Xing HANG ; Lili ZHANG ; Xiaorong ZHU ; Dantao PENG ; Ying FAN ; Min ZHANG ; Wenliang LYU ; Guoliang ZHANG ; Xiai WU ; Jia MI ; Jiaxing TIAN ; Wei ZHANG ; Han WANG ; Yuan XU ; .LI PINGPING ; Zhenyu WANG ; Ying ZHANG ; Dongmei SUN ; Yi HE ; Mei MO ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Linhua ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):272-279
To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications (DMC), refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles, and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine, hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine, was held in Beijing, 2024. Experts in TCM, Western medicine, and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis, diagnostic and treatment challenges, and mechanism research related to DMC, ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development, research prioritization, and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM, strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.
2.Establishment of graded management standards for off-label use of Shenqi fuzheng injection
Min WU ; Mei YU ; Shengnan YIN ; Dongmei LIU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(5):650-654
OBJECTIVE To establish the graded management standards for off-label use of Shenqi fuzheng injection. METHODS Systematic searches were conducted in databases including CNKI, PubMed and the Cochrane Library to retrieve guidelines/consensuses, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Shenqi fuzheng injection. The quality of evidence was evaluated using AGREE Ⅱ, AMSTAR Ⅱ, and the Risk of Bias 1.0 tool recommended by Cochrane Collaboration, and the graded management standard for off-label use of Shenqi fuzheng injection was developed by using the Thomson grading system. RESULTS A total of 534 articles were involved, including 11 guidelines, 22 systematic reviews/meta-analysis, and 501 RCTs. They covered 79 off-label indications for Shenqi fuzheng injection: cancer-related fatigue, colorectal cancer and breast cancer, all with high-quality evidence were classified under grade A management (grade Ⅰ commendation), allowing all physicians across the hospital to prescribe relevant treatments; five diseases, such as ovarian cancer, liver cancer, leukemia, heart failure and cerebral infarction, were classified under grade B management (grade Ⅱa commendation), with prescription restricted to physicians with intermediate or higher professional titles in specific departments; eleven diseases, including sepsis, cervical cancer, esophageal cancer, etc., were classified under grade C management (grade Ⅱb commendation), requiring strict evaluation by senior physicians before prescription; the use of Shenqi fuzheng injection for other conditions was explicitly prohibited due to a lack of sufficient evidence. CONCLUSIONS Off-label use of Shenqi fuzheng injection is prevalent. The graded management standard established by evidence-based medical approach provides a scientific basis for standardizing the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine injections and offers an operable paradigm for implementing differentiated drug use supervision in medical institutions.
3.Ursodeoxycholic acid inhibits the uptake of cystine through SLC7A11 and impairs de novo synthesis of glutathione.
Fu'an XIE ; Yujia NIU ; Xiaobing CHEN ; Xu KONG ; Guangting YAN ; Aobo ZHUANG ; Xi LI ; Lanlan LIAN ; Dongmei QIN ; Quan ZHANG ; Ruyi ZHANG ; Kunrong YANG ; Xiaogang XIA ; Kun CHEN ; Mengmeng XIAO ; Chunkang YANG ; Ting WU ; Ye SHEN ; Chundong YU ; Chenghua LUO ; Shu-Hai LIN ; Wengang LI
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(1):101068-101068
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a naturally occurring, low-toxicity, and hydrophilic bile acid (BA) in the human body that is converted by intestinal flora using primary BA. Solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) functions to uptake extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate, and is highly expressed in a variety of human cancers. Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS) refers to liposarcoma originating from the retroperitoneal area. Lipidomics analysis revealed that UDCA was one of the most significantly downregulated metabolites in sera of RLPS patients compared with healthy subjects. The augmentation of UDCA concentration (≥25 μg/mL) demonstrated a suppressive effect on the proliferation of liposarcoma cells. [15N2]-cystine and [13C5]-glutamine isotope tracing revealed that UDCA impairs cystine uptake and glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Mechanistically, UDCA binds to the cystine transporter SLC7A11 to inhibit cystine uptake and impair GSH de novo synthesis, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial oxidative damage. Furthermore, UDCA can promote the anti-cancer effects of ferroptosis inducers (Erastin, RSL3), the murine double minute 2 (MDM2) inhibitors (Nutlin 3a, RG7112), cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibitor (Abemaciclib), and glutaminase inhibitor (CB839). Together, UDCA functions as a cystine exchange factor that binds to SLC7A11 for antitumor activity, and SLC7A11 is not only a new transporter for BA but also a clinically applicable target for UDCA. More importantly, in combination with other antitumor chemotherapy or physiotherapy treatments, UDCA may provide effective and promising treatment strategies for RLPS or other types of tumors in a ROS-dependent manner.
4.Impact of vestibular dysfunction on cognitive function
Ruiqi ZHANG ; Yanli ZHAO ; Dongmei ZHANG ; Wenyan LI ; Peixia WU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(2):218-224
Objective To investigate the impact of vestibular dysfunction on various domains of cognitive function, providing a basis for developing comprehensive vestibular-cognitive intervention strategies. Methods A total of 33 patients with confirmed unilateral vestibular dysfunction treated at Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University between June 2024 and December 2024. Vestibular function was assessed using vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP), caloric testing, video head impulse test (vHIT), and sensory organization test (SOT). Cognitive function was evaluated using mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), Stroop color-word test, trail making test (TMT), and auditory verbal learning test (AVLT). Subjective symptoms were assessed using dizziness handicap inventory (DHI). Results In the vestibular function assessment of patients, abnormalities in caloric testing, utricle VEMP and saccule VEMP results were most common, with rates of 87.9%, 57.6%, and 66.7%, respectively; SOT abnormality primarily characterized by impaired vestibular function (21.2%). Spearman correlation analysis showed age, years of education, hearing ability, and emotional state were associated with overall or specific domains of cognitive function in patients. Greater vestibular dysfunction severity was associated with longer TMT-A time (r=0.443,P=0.010), most severe damage of short-term (r=-0.405,P=0.019) and long-term delayed recalls (r=-0.537,P=0.001). Patients with 31-60 of DHI scores showed longer TMT-A time than patients with 0-30 of DHI scores (P=0.033). Conclusions Patients with vestibular dysfunction exhibit significant impairment in low-frequency semicircular canal and utricle function, which affects attention allocation, information processing speed, and memory performance in cognitive tasks.
5.Effects of Combined Tongue Three-Needle Acupuncture and Acupoint Application on Lianquan (CV 23) on Swallowing Function and Surface Electromyography Signals in Patients with Dysphagia after Ischemic Stroke
Xiaoyu DENG ; Dongmei XU ; Qiong FAN ; Lei YUAN ; Wei WU ; Haimei LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(15):1559-1565
ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effectiveness and potential mechanism of combined tongue three-needle acupuncture and acupoint application on Lianquan (CV 23) for patients with dysphagia after ischemic stroke. MethodsA prospective study was conducted on 160 patients with post-stroke dysphagia, who were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, with 80 cases in each group. The control group received conventional rehabilitation training, while the treatment group received tongue three-needle acupuncture combined with acupoint application on Lianquan (CV 23) on the basis of conventional rehabilitation training, for 4 weeks in both groups. We compared the clinical effectivenss of both groups after treatment, and assessed the swallowing function including videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), standardized swallowing assessment (SSA) and functional oral intake scale (FIOS), swallowing contrast test including hyoid maximum displacement (HmaxD), pharyngeal transit time (PTT), and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening, surface electromyography (sEMG) test including maximum amplitude and swallowing duration as well as swallowing quality of life questionnaire (SWAL-QOL) score of the patients in both groups before treatment, after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment, respectively. ResultsThe total effective rate in treatment group was 82.50% (66/80), significantly higher than 66.25% (53/80) in control group (P<0.05). The VFSS, and FOIS scores, UES opening rate and HmaxD, sEMG maximal amplitude values, and SWAL-QOL scores were increased in both groups after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment compared with the values before treatment (P<0.05), while SSA scores, PTT, and swallowing duration were decreased compared within group before treatment (P<0.05). VFSS and FOIS scores, UES opening rate and HmaxD, sEMG maximal amplitude values, and SWAL-QOL scores after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment in the treatment group were higher (P<0.05), while SSA scores, PTT, and swallowing duration were lower (P<0.05) than those in the control group at the same time. ConclusionCombined tongue three-needle acupuncture and acupoint application on Lianquan (CV 23) for patients with dysphagia after ischemic stroke can significantly improve swallowing activities, and its mechanism of action may be related to the improvement of the contraction ability and coordination of swallowing-related muscle groups.
6.Effects of metformin on gut microbiota and short-/medium-chain fatty acids in high-fat diet rats.
Ying SHI ; Lin XING ; Shanyu WU ; Fangzhi YUE ; Tianqiong HE ; Jing ZHANG ; Lingxuan OUYANG ; Suisui GAO ; Dongmei ZHANG ; Zhijun ZHOU
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2025;50(5):851-863
OBJECTIVES:
Recent evidence suggests that the gut may be a primary site of metformin action. However, studies on the effects of metformin on gut microbiota remain limited, and its impact on gut microbial metabolites such as short-/medium-chain fatty acids is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of metformin on gut microbiota, short-/medium-chain fatty acids, and associated metabolic benefits in high-fat diet rats.
METHODS:
Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: 1) Normal diet group (ND group), fed standard chow; 2) high-fat diet group (HFD group), fed a high-fat diet; 3) high-fat diet + metformin treatment group (HFD+Met group), fed a high-fat diet for 8 weeks, followed by daily intragastric administration of metformin solution (150 mg/kg body weight) starting in week 9. At the end of the experiment, all rats were sacrificed, and serum, liver, and colonic contents were collected for assessment of glucose and lipid metabolism, liver pathology, gut microbiota composition, and the concentrations of short-/medium-chain fatty acids.
RESULTS:
Metformin significantly improved HFD-induced glucose and lipid metabolic disorders and liver injury. Compared with the HFD group, the HFD+Met group showed reduced abundance of Blautia, Romboutsia, Bilophila, and Bacteroides, while Lactobacillus abundance significantly increased (all P<0.05). Colonic contents of butyric acid, 2-methyl butyric acid, valeric acid, octanoic acid, and lauric acid were significantly elevated (all P<0.05), whereas acetic acid, isoheptanoic acid, and nonanoic acid levels were significantly decreased (all P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that Lactobacillus abundance was negatively correlated with body weight gain and insulin resistance, while butyrate and valerate levels were negatively correlated with insulin resistance and liver injury (all P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Metformin significantly increases the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and promotes the production of short-/medium-chain fatty acids including butyric, valeric, and lauric acid in the colonic contents of HFD rats, suggesting that metformin may regulate host metabolism through modulation of the gut microbiota.
Animals
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Metformin/pharmacology*
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects*
;
Rats
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Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects*
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Male
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Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism*
;
Fatty Acids/metabolism*
7.(+)-Strebloside induces Non-Hodgkin lymphoma cell death through the STEAP3-Mediated Ferroptosis and MAPK pathway.
Yu ZHAO ; Jing CAI ; Ying YANG ; Dongmei ZHANG ; Jiayi REN ; Shuyun XIAO ; Jian XU ; Feng FENG ; Rong WU ; Jie ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2025;23(10):1221-1231
(+)-Strebloside, a significant bioactive compound isolated from the roots of Streblus asper Lour., demonstrates inhibitory effects against multiple malignancies. However, its specific function and underlying mechanistic pathways in Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) remain unexplored. This investigation sought to elucidate the role and potential mechanisms of (+)-strebloside-induced NHL cell death. The results demonstrated that (+)-strebloside significantly induced apoptosis and ferroptosis in NHL cells, including those from Raji cell-derived xenograft models. Mechanistic analyses revealed that (+)-strebloside enhanced six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 3 (STEAP3)-induced ferroptosis in NHL, and STEAP3 inhibition reduced the proliferation-inhibitory effects of (+)-strebloside. Furthermore, (+)-strebloside suppressed NHL proliferation through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibition diminished the proliferation-inhibitory activity induced by (+)-strebloside. These findings indicate that (+)-strebloside presents promising therapeutic potential for NHL treatment.
Humans
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Ferroptosis/drug effects*
;
Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/physiopathology*
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects*
;
Animals
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Cell Proliferation/drug effects*
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Mice
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Apoptosis/drug effects*
;
Membrane Proteins/genetics*
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Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
;
Male
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Mice, Nude
8.Effect of mechanism-based secondary preventive scheme on recurrence of intracranial arterial stenosis-related stroke cerebrovascular disease event and related factors analysis
Xirui LIU ; Xue WEI ; Linyan TONG ; Jinfang LI ; Dongmei WU ; Siyin GONG
Chongqing Medicine 2025;54(2):329-334
Objective To investigate the effect of secondary preventive scheme on recurrence rate of ce-rebrovascular event based on China ischemic stroke subclassification(CISS)of intracranial arterial stenosis is-chemic stroke(IS).Methods A total of 192 patients with intracranial arterial stenosis IS were prospectively included and the secondary preventive scheme was formulated according to whether or not based on the patho-genesis.Then the patients were divided into the personalized treatment group and conventional treatment group.The personalized group conducted the classification and was given different the secondary preventive schemes the artery-artery embolism group was given the active lipid-lowering scheme to make the low density lipoprotein(LDL)reaching the standard;the low hypoperfusion group was given the smooth pressure reduc-tion program;the carrier artery occlusion perforating artery group was given the routine secondary prevention program;the mixture mechanism group was given the corresponding schemes superposition according to dif-ferent mechanisms].The conventional treatment group was given the conventional secondary preventive scheme.The difference in the recurrence rate of cerebrovascular events on 90 d was compared between the two groups.Meanwhile the univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing fac-tors of recurrence of cerebrovascular events on 90 d in intracranial arterial stenosis IS.Results Among 192 study subjects,there were 90 cases in the personalized treatment group(20 cases of vector artery occlusion and perforator artery,44 cases of arterial-arterial embolization,6 cases of hypoperfusion and 20 cases of mixed mechanism).There were 102 cases in the conventional treatment group(16 cases of perforator artery occlu-sion of the vector artery,52 cases of arterial-arterial embolism,8 cases of hypoperfusion and 26 cases of mixed mechanism).The occurrence rate of cerebrovascular events on 90 d in the personalized treatment group was significantly decreased compared to the conventional treatment group(7.8%vs.17.6%,χ2=4.112,P=0.043).The Logistic regression analysis revealed that the active lipid-lowering scheme for LDL reaching the standard was the independent protective factor of the cerebrovascular event recurrence on 90 d(OR=0.128,95%CI:1.150-71.170).Conclusion The personalized secondary prevention scheme based on pathogenesis reduces the recurrence rate of cerebrovascular event in intracranial arterial stenosis IS,in which making the LDL reaching the standard by the active lipid-lowering scheme is the independent protective factor for cerebro-vascular event recurrence in intracranial arterial stenosis IS.
9.Electroacupuncture antagonizes morphine analgesic tolerance by inhibiting microglia activation and related mechanisms
Yu ZHAO ; Fei GAO ; Dai LI ; Dongmei WU ; Lixian XU
Academic Journal of Naval Medical University 2025;46(3):411-417
Objective To observe the effects of electroacupuncture(EA)on morphine-induced microglia activation and analgesic tolerance,and explore the potential mechanism of EA in the treatment of morphine analgesic tolerance.Methods A total of 60 clean-grade SD rats were randomly assigned to control group,morphine group,morphine+EA group,and morphine+EA+colony-stimulating factor 1(CSF1)group,with 15 rats in each group.Morphine analgesic tolerance model was established by continuous 7-d intrathecal injection of morphine in the morphine,morphine+EA and morphine+EA+CSF1 groups.EA was given in the rats of morphine+EA and morphine+EA+CSF1 groups at"Zusanli"and"Sanyinjiao"acupoints,with dilatational wave,frequency of 2/100 Hz,stimulation intensities of 0.5,1.0,and 1.5 mA(10 min per intensity),once a day,for 7 consecutive days.Rats in morphine+EA+CSF1 group were given intrathecal injection with recombinant CSF1 protein for 7 consecutive days.The effect of EA on morphine analgesic tolerance in rats was observed by mechanical withdrawal threshold(MWT).After 7 d,the rats were sacrificed,and the L4-6 spinal dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglion tissues were isolated.The expression of CSF1 protein and mRNA in the dorsal root ganglia and spinal dorsal horn was detected by Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction.The expression of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1(IBA-1),a marker of microglia in the spinal dorsal horn,was detected by immunofluorescence method,and the expression of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α in the spinal cord was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results After intrathecal injection of morphine,the percentage of maximal possible potential effect(%MPE)in the morphine group was decreased progressively,indicating that the morphine analgesic tolerance model was successfully constructed.Compared with the morphine group,the%MPE in the morphine+EA group was increased after intrathecal injection at 3,5 and 7 d(all P<0.05).Compared with the morphine+EA group,the%MPE in the morphine+EA+CSF1 group was all decreased after intrathecal injection at 3,5 and 7 d(all P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression of CSF1 protein and mRNA in dorsal root ganglion and the expression of CSF1 protein in spinal dorsal horn in the morphine group were increased(all P<0.05).Compared with the morphine group,the expression levels of CSF1 protein and mRNA in dorsal root ganglion and CSF1 protein in spinal dorsal horn in the morphine+EA group were decreased(all P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the expression of CSF1 mRNA in the spinal dorsal horn among those groups(all P>0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression of IBA-1 in the spinal dorsal horn of the morphine group was increased(P<0.05).Compared with the morphine group,the expression of IBA-1 in the spinal dorsal horn of the morphine+EA group was decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the morphine+EA group,the expression of IBA-1 in the spinal dorsal horn of the morphine+EA+CSF1 group was increased(P<0.05).Conclusion EA can inhibit the activation of microglia in the spinal dorsal horn of rats and improve morphine analgesic tolerance in rats.The mechanism may be related to the reduction of CSF1 protein expression in the spinal dorsal horn.
10.Study on the quality evaluation of Faeces Bombycis based on HPLC fingerprint and content determination
Miaoli WU ; Yunjing QIU ; Han LIN ; Xiaolin LIU ; Zhenyu LI ; Lin ZHOU ; Xiangdong CHEN ; Dongmei SUN
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(7):970-977
Objective:To establish fingerprints of Faeces Bombycis and simultaneously determine the content of four amino acids; To evaluate the quality of Faeces Bombycis from different regions. The fingerprint of Faeces Bombycis was established and the contents of 4 amino acids were determined.Methods:Kromasil 100-5 C18 (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) column was used for phenyl isothiocyanate (PITC) pre-column derivation-high performance liquid chromatography with acetonitrile-0.1 mol/L sodium acetate solution (pH adjusted to 6.5 with acetic acid) (7:93) mixed solution, and acetonitrile-water (4:1) mixed solution were mobile phase for gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min; the column temperature was 35 ℃; the detection wavelength was 254 nm; the injection amount was 5 μl. The fingerprints of 17 batches of Faeces Bombycis were established, the common peaks were identified by comparison of reference materials, and the similarity evaluation and principal component analysis (PCA) were carried out. The contents of glycine, alanine, proline and phenylalanine were determined simultaneously.Results:A total of 12 common peaks were identified from the fingerprints of Faeces Bombycis, and 12 amino acids were identified. The similarity of 17 batches of samples was greater than 0.95. PCA analysis showed that the regional difference of the quality of Faeces Bombycis was not significant. Faeces Bombycis produced in Qujing city in Yunnan Province had the highest total contents of 4 amino acids.Conclusion:The method has good repeatability and can provide reference for the quality evaluation and standard improvement of Faeces Bombycis.

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