1.Shuhe Granules (舒和颗粒) in Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis Comorbid with Insomnia with Kidney-Heart Deficiency and Qi-Blood Disharmony Syndrome:An Exploratory Single-Arm Clinical Trial
Yonghao PAN ; Yuxi LI ; Yu GAO ; Xiangbin CHEN ; Kaixin GAO ; Runyue HUANG ; Fei TAN ; Jiamin YUAN ; Biyun XU ; Zhimin YANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(16):1743-1751
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effects and safety of Shuhe Granules (舒和颗粒) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) comorbid with insomnia. MethodsA single-arm prospective exploratory design was adopted. Thirty RA patients comorbid with insomnia and diagnosed with the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome of kidney-heart deficiency and qi-blood disharmony were enrolled. On the basis of maintaining their original RA treatment regimens, all patients received oral Shuhe Granules, one dose per day, for 12 consecutive weeks. The outcomes were assessed before treatment and at weeks 4, 8, and 12 after treatment. Sleep and related psychosomatic function were evaluated using the insomnia severity index (ISI), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), fatigue severity scale (FSS), patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scores. RA-related assessments included the 28-joint disease activity score based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP), pain visual analog scale (VAS), tender joint count (TJC28), swollen joint count (SJC28), morning stiffness duration, and health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) score. Laboratory parameters included erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP), and rheumatoid factor (RF) levels. A literature-based historical control group was established through literature retrieval and meta-analysis. The ISI, PSQI, DAS28-CRP, and pain VAS scores were compared between the treatment group in the present study and the historical control group. Safety assessments were also performed. ResultsCompared with baseline before treatment, ISI and PSQI scores decreased at weeks 4, 8, and 12, while MoCA scores increased at weeks 4, 8, and 12. FSS scores decreased at weeks 4 and 12. At weeks 8 and 12, GAD-7 scores, DAS28-CRP scores, duration of morning stiffness, TJC28, and SJC28 were reduced. At week 12, PHQ-9, pain VAS, and HAQ scores significantly decreased (P<0.05). FSS and DAS28-CRP scores at week 12 were lower than those at week 4, and CRP levels at week 8 were lower than those at week 4 (P<0.05). Compared with the historical control group, the treatment group showed superior improvement in ISI and PSQI scores (P<0.001); however, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in DAS28-CRP or pain VAS scores (P>0.05). No serious adverse events occurred during the study, and the 4 reported mild adverse events were all considered unrelated to the study medication. ConclusionShuhe Granules significantly improve sleep quality, fatigue, emotional status, cognitive function, RA-related symptoms, and joint function in patients with RA comorbid insomnia, with good safety and tolerability.
2.Research progress of the dopamine system in neurological diseases.
Yu-Qi NIU ; Jin-Jin WANG ; Wen-Fei CUI ; Peng QIN ; Jian-Feng GAO
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(2):309-317
The etiology of nervous system diseases is complicated, posing significant harm to patients and often resulting in poor prognoses. In recent years, the role of dopaminergic system in nervous system diseases has attracted much attention, and its complex regulatory mechanism and therapeutic potential have been gradually revealed. This paper reviews the role of dopaminergic neurons, the neurotransmitter dopamine, dopamine receptors and dopamine transporters in neurological diseases (including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia), with a view to further elucidating the disease mechanism and providing new insights and strategies for the treatment of neurological diseases.
Humans
;
Dopamine/metabolism*
;
Nervous System Diseases/physiopathology*
;
Parkinson Disease/physiopathology*
;
Receptors, Dopamine/metabolism*
;
Dopaminergic Neurons/physiology*
;
Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins/metabolism*
;
Alzheimer Disease/physiopathology*
;
Schizophrenia/physiopathology*
;
Animals
3.The role of selenoproteins in adipose tissue and obesity.
Yun-Fei ZHAO ; Yu-Hang SUN ; Tai-Hua JIN ; Yue LIU ; Yang-Di CHEN ; Wan XU ; Qian GAO
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(5):939-955
Selenoproteins, as the active form of selenium, play an important role in various physiological and pathological processes, such as anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, immune response, metabolic regulation, reproduction and aging. Although the expression level of selenoproteins in adipose tissue is significantly influenced by dietary selenium intake, it is closely related to the homeostasis of adipose tissue. In this review, we summarized the role of selenoproteins in the physiological function of adipose tissue and the pathogenesis of obesity in recent years, in order to provide a rationale for developing potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases.
Selenoproteins/metabolism*
;
Adipose Tissue/physiology*
;
Obesity/metabolism*
;
Humans
;
Animals
;
Selenium
4.Mechanism of Qitu Erzhi Decoction against chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression based on network pharmacology and experimental validation.
Meng-Meng WANG ; Hao SUN ; Gao-Biao LI ; Yu-Fei YANG ; Bin HE
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(3):719-731
To investigate the mechanism of Qitu Erzhi Decoction(QTEZ) in ameliorating chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression and the focus of its decomposed formulae on the effects of hematopoietic cells of the three lineages, respectively. Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was used to identify the components of QTEZ intestinal absorption liquid and obtain the target sites, which were intersected with chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression targets collected from several databases, including OMIM, and an interaction network was established based on network pharmacology for Gene Ontology(GO) functional analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway analysis. Hematopoietic stem cells of mice were taken after intraperitoneal injection of 5-fluorouracil for myelosuppression modeling and randomly divided into the model group, Qitu Erzhi group, Astragali Radix-Angelicae Sinensis Radix group, Ligustri Lucidi Fructus-Ecliptae Herba group, Psoraleae Fructus-Cuscutae Semen group, and positive drug group, which were given the corresponding traditional Chinese medicine intestinal absorption liquid and the positive drug granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, respectively. The normal hematopoietic stem cells were taken as the control group and were given the intervention of normal saline. The proliferation of hematopoietic progenitor cells of three lineages was observed by flow cytometry, and the cell cycle and colony formation assay were observed. Western blot was used to verify the effect of QTEZ on the pathway proteins including phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K), phosphorylated PI3K(p-PI3K), protein kinase B(AKT), and phosphorylated AKT(p-AKT). RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the effects of QTEZ on cell cycle-related targets such as CDK inhibitor 1(P21), cyclin D1(CCND1), and cyclin-dependent kinase 4(CDK4). The results showed that a total of 158 components were identified by QTEZ, and 375 component and disease intersecting targets were obtained, 21 core components and 40 core targets were obtained after constructing the network, and GO and KEGG enrichment showed signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT. QTEZ and its decomposed formulae could promote the 5-fluorouracil-blocked cell cycle to resume operation, and all of them had different degrees of restoration effects on the set of colonies, among which QTEZ had the best restoration effect, and the Astragali Radix-Angelicae Sinensis Radix group had a focused effect on colony forming unit-erythrocyte. Western blot results indicated that there was no significant difference in the expression levels of pathway proteins among the groups. RT-qPCR and Western blot results showed that QTEZ could down-regulate P21 and up-regulate the protein and mRNA expression of CDK4 and CCND1. In conclusion, QTEZ and its decomposed formulas can exert a protective effect on hematopoietic stem cells with 5-fluorouracil-induced myelosuppression by promoting the normal operation of the cell cycle and colony formation, and the mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of the cell cycle-related targets of P21 and the up-regulation of CDK4 and CCND1. In addition, Astragali Radix-Angelicae Sinensis Radix can have a targeted protective effect on erythrocytes.
Animals
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
;
Network Pharmacology
;
Mice
;
Fluorouracil/adverse effects*
;
Male
;
Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects*
;
Hematopoietic Stem Cells/cytology*
;
Humans
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
5.Changes in the body shape and ergonomic compatibility for functional dimensions of desks and chairs for students in Harbin during 2010-2024
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(3):315-320
Objective:
To analyze the change trends in the body shape indicators and proportions of students in Harbin from 2010 to 2024, and to investigate ergonomic compatibility of functional dimensions of school desks and chairs with current student shape indicators, so as to provide a reference for revising furniture standards of desks and chairs.
Methods:
Between September and November of both 2010 and 2024, a combination of convenience sampling and stratified cluster random sampling was conducted across three districts in Harbin, yielding samples of 6 590 and 6 252 students, respectively. Anthropometric shape indicators cluding height, sitting height, crus length, and thigh length-and their proportional changes were compared over the 15-year period. The 2024 data were compared with current standard functional dimensions of school furniture. The statistical analysis incorporated t-test and Mann-Whitney U- test.
Results:
From 2010 to 2024, average height increased by 1.8 cm for boys and 1.5 cm for girls; sitting height increased by 1.5 cm for both genders; crus length increased by 0.3 cm for boys and 0.4 cm for girls; and thigh length increased by 0.5 cm for both genders. The ratios of sitting height to height, and sitting height to leg length increased by less than 0.1 . The difference between desk chair height and 1/3 sitting height ranged from 0.4-0.8 cm. Among students matched with size 0 desks and chairs, 22.0% had a desk to chair height difference less than 0, indicating that the desk to chair height difference might be insufficient for taller students. The differences between seat height and fibular height ranged from -1.4 to 1.1 cm; and the differences between seat depth and buttock popliteal length ranged from -9.8 to 3.4 cm. Among obese students, the differences between seat width and 1/2 hip circumference ranged from -20.5 to -8.7 cm, while it ranged from -12.2 to -3.8 cm among non obese students.
Conclusion
Current furniture standards basically satisfy hygienic requirements; however, in the case of exceptionally tall and obese students, ergonomic accommodations such as adaptive seating allocation or personalized adjustments are recommended to meet hygienic requirements.
6.The Efficacy and Safety of Daratumumab-Based Combination Therapy in Multiple Myeloma.
Fan GAO ; Yu-Lan ZHOU ; Shi-Xuan WANG ; Hui-Min SHEN ; Min YU ; Fei LI
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(3):810-815
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the efficacy and safety of combination regimen containing daratumumab in multiple myeloma (MM) patients.
METHODS:
The clinical data of 14 newly diagnosed MM patients and 58 relapsed refractory MM patients treated with combination regimen containing daratumumab from November 2020 to March 2023 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were retrospectively analyzed. The efficacy and safety of combination regimen were analyzed.
RESULTS:
The median age of the 72 patients was 62 (38-78) years, including 35 males and 37 females. The overall response rate (ORR) of patients receiving first-line, second-line, and third-line or above treatment was 92.9% (13/14), 68.2% (30/44), and 42.9% (6/14), respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was not reached, 15.4 months, and 9.7 months in three groups, respectively (all P <0.05), while the median overall survival (OS) was all not reached. Among relapsed refractory patients, the ORR of those treated with DVd, DPd and DRd regimen was 50.0% (12/24), 40.0% (4/10) and 100% (10/10), the median PFS was 2.8 months, 10.3 months and not reached, and the median OS was 15.4 months, not reached and not reached, respectively. Furthermore, the PFS and OS in the DRd group were superior to those in the other two groups (all P <0.05). Cox univariate and multivariate analysis showed that lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ≥250 U/L and extramedullary disease were independent adverse prognostic factors for PFS, and LDH ≥250 U/L was also an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS. Hematologic adverse reactions were mainly lymphopenia (87.5%) and thrombocytopenia (52.8%), while non-hematologic adverse reactions were mainly infusion-related reactions (19.4%) and infections (11.1%).
CONCLUSIONS
The combination regimens containing daratumumab can be used as first-line treatment for patients with newly diagnosed MM. In patients with relapsed refractory MM, early use of regimens containing daratumumab may improve treatment response rate and prolong PFS. The DRd regimen has better therapeutic response and survival advantages. LDH is an independent prognostic factor affecting PFS and OS in MM patients.
Humans
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Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy*
;
Middle Aged
;
Aged
;
Male
;
Female
;
Antibodies, Monoclonal/administration & dosage*
;
Adult
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use*
;
Treatment Outcome
7.Prognostic value of quantitative flow ratio measured immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion.
Zheng QIAO ; Zhang-Yu LIN ; Qian-Qian LIU ; Rui ZHANG ; Chang-Dong GUAN ; Sheng YUAN ; Tong-Qiang ZOU ; Xiao-Hui BIAN ; Li-Hua XIE ; Cheng-Gang ZHU ; Hao-Yu WANG ; Guo-Feng GAO ; Ke-Fei DOU
Journal of Geriatric Cardiology 2025;22(4):433-442
BACKGROUND:
The clinical impact of post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) quantitative flow ratio (QFR) in patients treated with PCI for chronic total occlusion (CTO) was still undetermined.
METHODS:
All CTO vessels treated with successful anatomical PCI in patients from PANDA III trial were retrospectively measured for post-PCI QFR. The primary outcome was 2-year vessel-oriented composite endpoints (VOCEs, composite of target vessel-related cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was conducted to identify optimal cutoff value of post-PCI QFR for predicting the 2-year VOCEs, and all vessels were stratified by this optimal cutoff value. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI.
RESULTS:
Among 428 CTO vessels treated with PCI, 353 vessels (82.5%) were analyzable for post-PCI QFR. 31 VOCEs (8.7%) occurred at 2 years. Mean value of post-PCI QFR was 0.92 ± 0.13. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis shown the optimal cutoff value of post-PCI QFR for predicting 2-year VOCEs was 0.91. The incidence of 2-year VOCEs in the vessel with post-PCI QFR < 0.91 (n = 91) was significantly higher compared with the vessels with post-PCI QFR ≥ 0.91 (n = 262) (22.0% vs. 4.2%, HR = 4.98, 95% CI: 2.32-10.70).
CONCLUSIONS
Higher post-PCI QFR values were associated with improved prognosis in the PCI practice for coronary CTO. Achieving functionally optimal PCI results (post-PCI QFR value ≥ 0.91) tends to get better prognosis for patients with CTO lesions.
8.Glucocorticoid Discontinuation in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis under Background of Chinese Medicine: Challenges and Potentials Coexist.
Chuan-Hui YAO ; Chi ZHANG ; Meng-Ge SONG ; Cong-Min XIA ; Tian CHANG ; Xie-Li MA ; Wei-Xiang LIU ; Zi-Xia LIU ; Jia-Meng LIU ; Xiao-Po TANG ; Ying LIU ; Jian LIU ; Jiang-Yun PENG ; Dong-Yi HE ; Qing-Chun HUANG ; Ming-Li GAO ; Jian-Ping YU ; Wei LIU ; Jian-Yong ZHANG ; Yue-Lan ZHU ; Xiu-Juan HOU ; Hai-Dong WANG ; Yong-Fei FANG ; Yue WANG ; Yin SU ; Xin-Ping TIAN ; Ai-Ping LYU ; Xun GONG ; Quan JIANG
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(7):581-589
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM).
METHODS:
This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis.
RESULTS:
Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings.
CONCLUSIONS
RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult
;
Aged
;
Female
;
Humans
;
Male
;
Middle Aged
;
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy*
;
Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use*
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
Retrospective Studies
9.Endothelial Cell Integrin α6 Regulates Vascular Remodeling Through the PI3K/Akt-eNOS-VEGFA Axis After Stroke.
Bing-Qiao WANG ; Yang-Ying DUAN ; Mao CHEN ; Yu-Fan MA ; Ru CHEN ; Cheng HUANG ; Fei GAO ; Rui XU ; Chun-Mei DUAN
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(9):1522-1536
The angiogenic response is essential for the repair of ischemic brain tissue. Integrin α6 (Itga6) expression has been shown to increase under hypoxic conditions and is expressed exclusively in vascular structures; however, its role in post-ischemic angiogenesis remains poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that mice with endothelial cell-specific knockout of Itga6 exhibit reduced neovascularization, reduced pericyte coverage on microvessels, and accelerated breakdown of microvascular integrity in the peri-infarct area. In vitro, endothelial cells with ITGA6 knockdown display reduced proliferation, migration, and tube-formation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that ITGA6 regulates post-stroke angiogenesis through the PI3K/Akt-eNOS-VEGFA axis. Importantly, the specific overexpression of Itga6 in endothelial cells significantly enhanced neovascularization and enhanced the integrity of microvessels, leading to improved functional recovery. Our results suggest that endothelial cell Itga6 plays a crucial role in key steps of post-stroke angiogenesis, and may represent a promising therapeutic target for promoting recovery after stroke.
Animals
;
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism*
;
Mice
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
;
Integrin alpha6/genetics*
;
Endothelial Cells/metabolism*
;
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism*
;
Stroke/pathology*
;
Vascular Remodeling/physiology*
;
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism*
;
Mice, Knockout
;
Signal Transduction/physiology*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Male
;
Neovascularization, Physiologic/physiology*
10.Consensus on the Path and Mechanism for the Construction of Research-Oriented Hospitals in China under High-Quality Development
Fei YU ; Hong GAO ; Guohong LI ; Jun YAO ; Hui ZHU ; Xianqun FAN ; Zhenxi HE
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(5):45-49
With the rapid development of the healthcare industry and the deepening implementation of the Healthy China strategy,high-quality development has become the core goal of China's healthcare service system construction.As an important component of the healthcare service system,research-oriented hospitals undertake multiple missions such as technological innovation,clinical translation,and talent cultivation.A team of communication experts and lead authors jointly participated in the compilation of the expert group's related expert team to comprehensively analyze the current development status,existing problems,and future directions of research-oriented hospitals in China.After inviting well-known experts in hospital management from across the country to discuss and exchange ideas,it proposed a consensus on the construction mode and path of research-oriented hospitals in China under high-quality development,aiming to further guide and standardize the current construction work of research-oriented hospitals in China,and provide reference for the formulation and practice of relevant policies at the national and provincial levels.


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