1.Clinical features and multimodal quantitative radiological features of primary liver cancer patients with different traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types
Feng WU ; Muqing LUO ; Wantingting WEN ; Ziwei CAI ; Yinqi LIU ; Jian XIANG ; Xiaona ZHOU ; Qian GUO ; Kun ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(5):1093-1100
ObjectiveTo investigate the association of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome types of primary liver cancer (PLC) with clinical features and multimodal quantitative radiological features on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to provide a reference for the objectification of TCM syndrome differentiation and precise diagnosis and treatment. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 312 patients who were diagnosed with PLC in The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine from March 2020 to June 2025, and according to the TCM syndrome type, they were divided into stagnation of liver Qi group with 40 patients, stagnation of liver Qi and spleen deficiency group with 109 patients, Qi stagnation and blood stasis group with 62 patients, dampness-heat toxin amassment group with 81 patients, and liver-kidney Yin deficiency group with 20 patients. Clinical features and multimodal quantitative radiological features were compared between the patients with different TCM syndrome types. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups; the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the Dunn’s multiple test was used for further comparison between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsThere were significant differences between the patients with different TCM syndrome types in China liver cancer staging (CNLC), Child-Pugh class, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, albumin, direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, prothrombin time, neutrophil, and albumin-bilirubin score (all P<0.05). In the stagnation of liver Qi group, the patients with Child-Pugh class A accounted for 75.00%; among the patients with CNLC stage I PLC, the patients with stagnation of liver Qi accounted for 60.00%, and those with Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome accounted for 59.68%, while among the patients with CNLC stage IV PLC, the distribution proportion of dampness-heat toxin amassment (27.16%) and liver-kidney Yin deficiency (30.00%) was significantly higher than that of stagnation of liver Qi (2.50%) (all P<0.05). Radiological examination showed that there were significant differences between the patients with different TCM syndrome types in the number of tumors, ascites, venous tumor thrombus, maximum tumor diameter, intrahepatic metastasis, and lymph node metastasis in the hepatic hilar and retroperitoneal regions (all P<0.05). Compared with the patients with stagnation of liver Qi, the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency or liver-kidney Yin deficiency were more likely to develop intrahepatic metastasis; the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency, dampness-heat toxin amassment, or liver-kidney Yin deficiency were more likely to develop lymph node metastasis in the hepatic hilar and retroperitoneal regions; the patients with liver-kidney Yin deficiency were more likely to experience multiple tumors; the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency or dampness-heat toxin amassment were more likely to develop ascites (all P<0.05). Compared with the patients with Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency had a significantly longer maximum tumor diameter and a significantly higher proportion of patients with venous tumor thrombus (both P<0.05). Furthermore, among the 184 patients with MRI diffusion-weighted imaging sequences, the patients with dampness-heat toxin amassment or Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome had significantly higher ADC values and relative ADC values than those with stagnation of liver Qi (all P<0.05). ConclusionThere are significant differences in CT/MRI radiological features and clinical features between PLC patients with different TCM syndrome types, among whom the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency, dampness-heat toxin amassment, and liver-kidney Yin deficiency tend to exhibit progressive radiological features, and those with dampness-heat toxin amassment or Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome tend to have higher ADC values. These findings provide an objective basis for TCM syndrome differentiation in PLC.
2.Sclera Vessel Segmentation Based on Fusion Filtering and Reflection Suppression
Ming-Xuan FAN ; Zong-Qing MA ; Chu-Xiang GAO ; Yi-Xuan SHI ; Zi-Hang ZHANG ; Zhe-Xuan JIA ; Fan FAN ; Guo-Liang HUANG ; Jiang ZHU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1195-1206
ObjectiveIn traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the foundational doctrine that the eyes reflect the essence of the internal viscera establishes ocular observation as a cornerstone of diagnostic practice. Specifically, the morphological characteristics and coloration variations of the scleral microvasculature serve as critical clinical indicators for assessing the dynamic balance of Qi and Blood, as well as the pathological status of internal organs. Historically, however, TCM eye diagnosis has relied predominantly on the subjective clinical experience and visual acuity of individual practitioners, leading to inherent challenges in standardization and reproducibility. While automated computer-aided diagnostic systems offer a promising solution, existing vessel segmentation algorithms encounter significant domain-specific bottlenecks when applied to scleral imagery. These challenges primarily stem from the highly reflective and moist nature of the ocular surface, which generates severe reflective interference. Furthermore, the inherent low contrast of fine capillary networks against complex background textures, compounded by non-uniform illumination, frequently results in high false-positive rates, misdetections, and severe vessel fragmentation. To address these critical limitations and advance the objective quantification of TCM diagnostics, this paper proposes a novel, highly robust sclera vessel segmentation framework that innovatively integrates Frangi-Sato dual-filter adaptive enhancement with pixel-level reflection detection. MethodsThe proposed methodology systematically addresses the segmentation pipeline through three synergistic stages. First, to overcome the structural limitations of single-filter approaches, a multi-scale weighted fusion strategy is meticulously designed to harness the complementary extraction capabilities of both Frangi and Sato filters. This adaptive enhancement optimally balances the preservation of main vessel trunk continuity with the heightened sensitivity required for delineating delicate, low-contrast peripheral capillaries. Second, to tackle the persistent issue of reflective highlights, a sophisticated multi-feature synergistic reflection detection module is introduced. By jointly analyzing local information entropy, gradient field variations, and intensity statistical distributions, this module achieves precise, pixel-level identification and elimination of reflective artifacts without compromising the underlying vascular structures. Finally, a dual-level adaptive thresholding strategy, featuring an innovative “core protection” mechanism, is implemented. This critical step effectively suppresses complex background noise while rigorously preserving the structural and topological integrity of the intricate vessel network, preventing the structural breaks often seen in conventional binarization methods. ResultsThe efficacy of the proposed framework was rigorously evaluated using both self-constructed clinical datasets specifically acquired for TCM research and standardized public datasets. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently outperforms state-of-the-art traditional approaches and contemporary deep learning models. Specifically, the proposed method achieves a Dice similarity coefficient of approximately 0.71 on the private clinical dataset, and secures the best performance across the majority of quantitative metrics on both datasets. Notably, the framework exhibits exceptional robustness and generalization capabilities in highly challenging scenarios characterized by intense reflective interference, low signal-to-noise ratios, and cross-domain image variations. ConclusionThis study successfully realizes the high-integrity, automated segmentation of scleral vessel networks under complex clinical imaging conditions. By overcoming the fundamental algorithmic challenges of reflection interference and micro-vessel loss, the proposed methodology provides potential support for the digitization, objective standardization, and intelligent advancement of modern TCM eye diagnosis systems.
3.Establishment and application of a determination method for plasma concentrations of venetoclax,busulfan and voriconazole in patients with acute myeloid leukemia
Zhenhua ZHANG ; Mengru ZHANG ; Aoxiang GUO ; Hui CHEN ; Shijian XIANG ; Benjie ZHOU ; Bingchen GE
China Pharmacy 2026;37(10):1323-1328
OBJECTIVE To establish a method for simultaneous determination of venetoclax, busulfan and voriconazole in plasma of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and apply it clinically. METHODS Plasma samples were subjected to protein precipitation using acetonitrile and subsequently analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using venetoclax-D 8 , busulfan-D 8 and posaconazole as internal standards. The separation was performed on a Phenomenex Kinetex ® C 18 column with a mobile phase composed of 0.1% formic acid solution (2 mmol/L ammonium acetate)-0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile (gradient elution) at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 40 ℃, the sample size was 5 μL, and the total run time was 3.10 min. An electrospray ionization source was employed, and positive ion scanning was conducted using multiple reaction monitoring mode. The ion pairs used for quantitative analysis included m/z 868.4→636.3 (venetoclax), m/z 264.1→151.1 (busulfan), and m/z 350.1→224.0 (voriconazole). The above LC-MS/MS method was adopted to determine plasma concentrations of venetoclax and voriconazole in 10 AML patients, as well as plasma concentration of busulfan in 5 patients undergoing conditioning treatment for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. RESULTS The linear ranges of venetoclax, busulfan and voriconazole were 50-10 000, 15-3 000 and 50-10 000 ng/mL, respectively ( R 2 ≥0.999 0), with lower limits of quantification of 50, 15 and 50 ng/mL, respectively. The RSDs of intra-day and inter-day precision tests for all three analytes were all less than 10%, with accuracy (relative errors) ranging from -10.00% to 12.96%. The average extraction recovery ranged from 92.54% to 100.95%, and the average matrix effect was 89.98%-101.49%. Dilution reliability covered all dilution factors used in the test samples, and the absolute values of relative errors in stability tests were all≤16.25%. The plasma concentrations of venetoclax, busulfan and voriconazole in enrolled patients were 496.20-4 250.45, 233.48-2 002.28 and 475.51-5 710.18 ng/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The LC-MS/MS method established in this study is rapid, sensitive and easy to operate, and can be used for the therapeutic drug monitoring of venetoclax, busulfan and voriconazole.
4.Myocardial Metabolomics Reveals Mechanism of Shenfu Injection in Ameliorating Energy Metabolism Remodeling in Rat Model of Chronic Heart Failure
Xinyue NING ; Zhenyu ZHAO ; Mengna ZHANG ; Yang GUO ; Zhijia XIANG ; Kun LIAN ; Zhixi HU ; Lin LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):178-186
ObjectiveTo examine the influences of Shenfu injection on the endogenous metabolic byproducts in the myocardium of the rat model exhibiting chronic heart failure, thus deciphering the therapeutic mechanism of the Qi-reinforcing and Yang-warming method. MethodsSD rats were randomly allocated into a control group and a modeling group. Chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome in rats was modeled by multi-point subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol, and the rats were fed for 14 days after modeling. The successfully modeled rats were randomized into model, Shenfu injection (6.0 mL·kg-1), and trimetazidine (10 mg·kg-1) groups and treated with corresponding agents for 15 days. The control group and the model group were injected with equal doses of normal saline, and the samples were collected after the intervention was completed. Cardiac color ultrasound was performed. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe histopathological morphology, and the serum level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mitochondrial morphological and structural changes of cardiomyocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the metabolic profiling was carried out by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quantitative exactive-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS). Differential metabolites were screened and identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and other methods, and then the MetaboAnalyst database was used for further screening. The relevant biological pathways were obtained through pathway enrichment analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to evaluate the diagnostic value of each potential biomarker for myocardial injury and the evaluation value for drug efficacy. ResultsThe results of color ultrasound showed that Shenfu Injection improved the cardiac function indexes of model rats (P<0.05). The results of HE staining showed that Shenfu injection effectively alleviated the pathological phenomena such as myocardial tissue structure disorder and inflammatory cell infiltration in model rats. The results of ELISA showed that Shenfu injection effectively regulated the serum NT-proBNP level in the model rats. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that Shenfu injection effectively restored the mitochondrial morphological structure. The results of metabolomics showed that the metabolic phenotypes of myocardial samples presented markedly differences between groups. Nine differential metabolites could be significantly reversed in the Shenfu injection group, involving three metabolic pathways: pyruvate metabolism, histidine metabolism, and citric acid cycle (TCA cycle). The results of ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of all metabolites were between 0.75 and 1.0, indicating that the differential metabolites had high diagnostic accuracy for myocardial injury, and the changes in their expression levels could be used as potential markers for efficacy evaluation. ConclusionShenfu injection significantly alleviated the damage of cardiac function, myocardium, and mitochondrial structure in the rat model of chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome by ameliorating energy metabolism remodeling. Reinforcing Qi and warming Yang is a key method for treating chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome.
5.The first record of Anopheles messeae (Diptera: Culicidae) parasitized by water mites in China
Xue-ru CHEN ; Wen-zhen YAO ; Yu-hao LI ; Gui-chang LI ; Tao MENG ; Qun-ling FENG ; Xin-hui LIU ; Li-hong QIAO ; Xiang-ting WU ; Xue-feng ZHANG ; Cheng-lin LI ; Xue-cheng DONG ; Da-wei WANG ; Xiao-yan SI ; Yu-hong GUO
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(1):53-57
Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.
6.Sclera Vessel Segmentation Based on Fusion Filtering and Reflection Suppression
Ming-Xuan FAN ; Zong-Qing MA ; Chu-Xiang GAO ; Yi-Xuan SHI ; Zi-Hang ZHANG ; Zhe-Xuan JIA ; Fan FAN ; Guo-Liang HUANG ; Jiang ZHU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1195-1206
ObjectiveIn traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the foundational doctrine that the eyes reflect the essence of the internal viscera establishes ocular observation as a cornerstone of diagnostic practice. Specifically, the morphological characteristics and coloration variations of the scleral microvasculature serve as critical clinical indicators for assessing the dynamic balance of Qi and Blood, as well as the pathological status of internal organs. Historically, however, TCM eye diagnosis has relied predominantly on the subjective clinical experience and visual acuity of individual practitioners, leading to inherent challenges in standardization and reproducibility. While automated computer-aided diagnostic systems offer a promising solution, existing vessel segmentation algorithms encounter significant domain-specific bottlenecks when applied to scleral imagery. These challenges primarily stem from the highly reflective and moist nature of the ocular surface, which generates severe reflective interference. Furthermore, the inherent low contrast of fine capillary networks against complex background textures, compounded by non-uniform illumination, frequently results in high false-positive rates, misdetections, and severe vessel fragmentation. To address these critical limitations and advance the objective quantification of TCM diagnostics, this paper proposes a novel, highly robust sclera vessel segmentation framework that innovatively integrates Frangi-Sato dual-filter adaptive enhancement with pixel-level reflection detection. MethodsThe proposed methodology systematically addresses the segmentation pipeline through three synergistic stages. First, to overcome the structural limitations of single-filter approaches, a multi-scale weighted fusion strategy is meticulously designed to harness the complementary extraction capabilities of both Frangi and Sato filters. This adaptive enhancement optimally balances the preservation of main vessel trunk continuity with the heightened sensitivity required for delineating delicate, low-contrast peripheral capillaries. Second, to tackle the persistent issue of reflective highlights, a sophisticated multi-feature synergistic reflection detection module is introduced. By jointly analyzing local information entropy, gradient field variations, and intensity statistical distributions, this module achieves precise, pixel-level identification and elimination of reflective artifacts without compromising the underlying vascular structures. Finally, a dual-level adaptive thresholding strategy, featuring an innovative “core protection” mechanism, is implemented. This critical step effectively suppresses complex background noise while rigorously preserving the structural and topological integrity of the intricate vessel network, preventing the structural breaks often seen in conventional binarization methods. ResultsThe efficacy of the proposed framework was rigorously evaluated using both self-constructed clinical datasets specifically acquired for TCM research and standardized public datasets. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently outperforms state-of-the-art traditional approaches and contemporary deep learning models. Specifically, the proposed method achieves a Dice similarity coefficient of approximately 0.71 on the private clinical dataset, and secures the best performance across the majority of quantitative metrics on both datasets. Notably, the framework exhibits exceptional robustness and generalization capabilities in highly challenging scenarios characterized by intense reflective interference, low signal-to-noise ratios, and cross-domain image variations. ConclusionThis study successfully realizes the high-integrity, automated segmentation of scleral vessel networks under complex clinical imaging conditions. By overcoming the fundamental algorithmic challenges of reflection interference and micro-vessel loss, the proposed methodology provides potential support for the digitization, objective standardization, and intelligent advancement of modern TCM eye diagnosis systems.
7.Corrective Effects of Three-Stage Structured Tai Chi on Abnormal Neck and Shoulder Posture:A Biomechanics-Based Randomized Controlled Trial
Yulei RAN ; Jing ZHANG ; Chao YANG ; Liyuan ZHANG ; Tingting HAN ; Weibiao LI ; Xiang GUO ; Xianhui GUO
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(16):1752-1758
ObjectiveTo evaluate the corrective effects of a three-stage structured Tai Chi training program on abnormal neck and shoulder posture from a biomechanical perspective. MethodsEighty-two participants with abnormal neck and shoulder posture were randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group, with 41 participants in each group. The treatment group received three-stage structured Tai Chi training six times per week, while the control group received online health education once per week. Both interventions lasted for 12 weeks. The primary outcome cervical postural deviation angle, and the secondary outcomes including cervical loading and bilateral shoulder horizontal deviation angle, were assessed before intervention, after 6 weeks and 12 weeks of intervention. Safety was also evaluated. ResultsUltimately, 40 participants from each group were included in the analysis. In the treatment group, cervical postural deviation angle and cervical spine loading were significantly reduced after 12 weeks of intervention compared with baseline and after 6 weeks of intervention. The bilateral shoulder horizontal deviation angle decreased significantly after both 6 and 12 weeks of intervention compared with baseline (P<0.05). In the control group, cervical spine loading was reduced after 6 and 12 weeks of intervention compared with baseline (P< 0.05). After 12 weeks of intervention, the treatment group showed lower cervical postural deviation angle and bilateral shoulder horizontal deviation angle than the control group, whereas cervical loading was higher in the treatment group after 6 weeks of intervention (P<0.05). Significant differences were observed between groups in the changes from baseline to week 12 for cervical postural deviation angle and bilateral shoulder horizontal deviation angle, as well as in the changes from baseline to week 6 for cervical loading and bilateral shoulder horizontal deviation angle (P< 0.05). No significant adverse events occurred in either group during the intervention period. ConclusionThree-stage structured Tai Chi can effectively improve abnormal neck and shoulder posture, demonstrating good safety and feasibility.
8.Integrated effects of climate, land use, and their interactive driving mechanisms on the spatiotemporal dynamics of Oncomelania hupensis density: a case study of Yunnan Province
Jiangling XIANG ; Suying GUO ; Qiang WANG ; Lijuan ZHANG ; Jiayu SUN ; Yi DONG ; Jing XU
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2026;38(3):260-267
Objective To examine the impact of climate, land use and their interaction effect on the population density of Oncomelania hupensis. Methods O. hupensis snail surveillance data in Yunnan Province from 2013 to 2022 were obtained from the National Information System for Parasitic Diseases Prevention and Control of Chinese Information System for Disease Control and Prevention, and the density of living snails was calculated in each county-level administrative district. Climate data were obtained from the China Meteorological Forcing Dataset version 2.0, and land use data were captured from the China Land Cover Dataset. The raster climate data and land use data were clipped to the administrative border of Yunnan Province in the R package version 4.5, and the climate data were resampled to a spatial resolution of 30 m × 30 m consistent with the land use data using bilinear interpolation. Annual meteorological indicators were extracted from each county-level schistosomiasis surveillance administrative area in Yunnan Province from 2013 to 2022, including average temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, temperature difference, average precipitation rate, maximum precipitation rate, minimum precipitation rate, downward shortwave radiation flux, downward longwave radiation flux, air pressure, wind speed, specific humidity and relative humidity. Annual land use structure and landscape pattern index in each county-level schistosomiasis surveillance administrative area in Yunnan Province from 2013 to 2022 were extracted and calculated, including the proportion of areas occupied by each type of land use, patch density, largest patch index, landscape separation index, landscape fragmentation index, landscape segmentation index, contagion index, patch cohesion index, edge density, and shape index. Land use entropy index was introduced to represent the degree of habitat fragmentation and ecological niche breadth. The density of living snails and environmental factors were subjected to rank correlation analysis, and variables with no statistically significant correlation (P>0.1) were excluded. Then, a correlation coefficient matrix was constructed, and |rs| of 0.85 and greater was defined as the threshold of high collinearity. For highly correlated variables in each group, indicators with a more biological explanatory power or a better statistical efficiency were retained. A generalized additive model (GAM) was constructed with O. hupensis snail density as a response variable and screened environmental variables as independent variables, and the model performance was evaluated using the variance explained. Results The area occupied by O. hupensis snail habitats was 1 056 to 1 680 hm2 in Yunnan Province from 2013 to 2022, appearing an overall tendency towards a decline; however, the density of living snails appeared a tendency towards a slight rise. Based on the correlation coefficient matrix, 14 core explanatory variables were retained, including farmland, water bodies, bare land, impervious surface, landscape separation index, landscape fragmentation index, edge density, shape index, land use entropy index, downward longwave radiation flux, downward shortwave radiation flux, maximum temperature, minimum precipitation rate and specific humidity. Two types of GAM were constructed, including the main-effects model without interaction terms and the interaction model with interaction terms. The corrected Akaike information criterion (AICc) of the optimal main-effects model was −285.223, and the core variables included bare land, impervious surface, landscape separation index, edge density, shape index, land use entropy index and downward shortwave radiation flux. Following introduction of second-order interaction terms, the AICc value of the optimal interaction model was −345.526, and the significant interaction combinations included: farmland × impervious surface, farmland × landscape separation index, farmland × shape index, farmland × land use entropy index, impervious surface × landscape separation index, impervious surface × edge density, and shape index × downward shortwave radiation flux. The proportion of the main-effects model explaining the variation of O. hupensis snail density was 39.8%, and the explanatory power of GAM increased to 79.0% following introduction of interaction terms. Conclusion Landscape separation index, edge density, shape index and other landscape pattern indicators pose significant impacts on the intensity and direction of changes in O. hupensis snail density in Yunnan Province.
9.Effect of Modified Shoutai Pill (寿胎丸加味方) on Inflammatory Reaction and Expression of Endometrial Receptivity-Related Factors in A Rat Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Miscarriage with High Testosterone-Insulin Resistance
Tingting GUO ; Meng JIANG ; Huaiying YANG ; Xiang JI ; Yuehui ZHANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(3):275-282
ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanisms of Modified Shoutai Pill (寿胎丸加味方, MSP) in treating polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and miscarriage, focusing on inflammatory response and endometrial receptivity. MethodsThirty female SPF-grade SD rats with regular estrous cycles and in proestrus, and 15 male SPF-grade SD rats were housed together in a 2∶1 ratio at 18:00. At 8:00 next morning, rats showing abundant sperm and vaginal plugs were considered pregnant on the day 0.5. The 30 pregnant rats were randomly divided into three groups, normal group, model group, and MSP group, with 10 rats in each group. From day 0.5 to day 13.5 of pregnancy, the MSP group was given 26.6 g/(kg·d) of the MSP via gavage twice a day for 14 consecutive days. The normal group and the model group received 4 ml of normal saline daily. From day 7.5 to day 13.5 of pregnancy, the rats in the model group and MSP group were intraperitoneally injected with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and insulin (INS) for 7 consecutive days to establish a PCOS model with hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and miscarriage. On day 13.5 of pregnancy, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed to measure blood glucose levels at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. On day 14.5, serum level of progesterone (P4), estradiol (E2), fasting insulin (FINS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured by ELISA. The insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Embryo implantation, miscarriage rate, and average number of live fetuses were observed. Uterine tissue pathology was examined by HE staining, and mRNA expression of Il-6, Tnf-α, leukemia inhibitory factor (Lif), homeobox gene 10 (Hoxa10), prolactin family 8 subfamily A member 2 (Prl8a2), and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (Igfbp1) in the uterine tissue was detected by qRT-PCR. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group had significantly higher blood glucose level at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes, increased miscarriage rate, elevated HOMA-IR, decreased average number of live fetuses, lower level of P4 and E2, higher level of IL-6, TNF-α, and FINS, and higher mRNA expression of Il-6 and Tnf-α in the uterine tissue. The mRNA expression of Lif, Hoxa10, and Prl8a2 was reduced (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The uterus had a dark red color, visible areas of bleeding, fewer embryos with developmental abnormalities, and increased placental necrosis. Pathological examination revealed thrombus in the decidual layer, unclear decidual cell morphology, loose arrangement, scattered distribution, edema degeneration in the cytoplasm, and nuclear shrinkage or disappearance, with extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells. In contrast, compared with the model group, the MSP group showed significantly lower blood glucose level at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min, reduced miscarriage rate, lower HOMA-IR, increased number of live fetuses, higher level of P4 and E2, and lower level of IL-6, TNF-α, and FINS. The mRNA expression of Il-6 and Tnf-α in the uterine tissue was lower, while the expression of Lif, Hoxa10, and Prl8a2 mRNA was higher (P<0.05 or P<0.01). There was significant improvement in uterine and embryo conditions, as well as in uterine tissue pathology. ConclusionThe MSP can reduce the miscarriage rate in a PCOS model with hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and miscarriage. Its mechanism may involve inhibiting inflammation, improving endometrial receptivity, and restoring the defects in endometrial decidualization.
10.Impact of postoperative complications on adverse outcomes following curative-intent resection for gallbladder cancer: a national multicenter real-world study
Zhipeng LIU ; Cheng CHEN ; Jie BAI ; Yan JIANG ; Dong ZHANG ; Wei GUO ; Zhixin WANG ; Xiang LAN ; Yufu YE ; Zhaoping WU ; Jinxue ZHOU ; Shuo JIN ; Yi ZHU ; Wei CHEN ; Dalong YIN ; Yao CHENG ; Haisu DAI ; Lei ZHANG ; Zhiyu CHEN
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2025;24(7):874-881
Objective:To investigate the impact of postoperative complications on adverse outcomes following curative-intent resection for gallbladder cancer (GBC).Methods:The multi-center real-world study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 629 patients with GBC, who were admitted to 14 medical centers including The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from the national multicenter database of Biliary Surgery Group of Elite Group of Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery, from April 2020 to April 2024 were collected. There were 225 males and 404 females, aged (64±10)years. Patients underwent open curative-intent resection for GBC. Observation indicators: (1)surgery, postoperative complica-tions and adverse outcomes; (2) analysis of risk factors affecting postoperative adverse outcomes in patients and population attributable fraction (PAF). Missing data in predictor variables were addressed using multiple imputation with chained equations, while cases with missing outcome variables were addressed using the "multiple imputation then deletion (MID)" strategy. The severity of multicollinearity among independent variables was assessed using the variance inflation factor (VIF) test. Multivariable possion regression models with log link and robust error variance were construc-ted incorporating restricted cubic splines (3 knots) to address nonlinear relationships in continuous variables, calculating adjusted relative risk ( RR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval ( CI). Adjusted PAF was calculated for each imputed dataset using the AF package of R software, with subsequent pooling performed according to Rubin's rules. Results:(1) Surgery, postoperative complications and adverse outcomes. All 629 patients underwent curative-intent resection for GBC, of which 143 cases had postoperative complications, including 68 cases of intra-abdominal ascites, 39 cases of pulmonary infection, 21 cases of bile leakage, 12 cases of intra-abdominal hemorrhage, 11 cases of liver failure, 10 cases of pan-creatic fistula, 10 cases of wound infection, 10 cases of gastroparesis, 7 cases of cholangitis, 7 cases of sepsis. The same patient could have more than one kind of complication. Of 629 patients, there were 19 cases of postoperative 90-day death and 11 cases of missing data, 42 cases with post-operative 90-day reoperation and 7 cases with missing data, 44 cases with postoperative 90-day readmission and 3 cases with missing data, 155 cases with prolonged postoperative hospital stay and 3 cases with missing data. (2) Analysis of risk factors affecting the postoperative adverse outcomes in patients and PAF. Results of multivariate analysis showed that pulmonary infection and liver failure were independent risk factors for postoperative 90-day mortality ( RR=3.74, 12.15, 95% CI as 1.18-11.83, 1.98-74.48, P<0.05). Pulmonary infection demons-trated the highest PAF as 4.61% (95% CI as 3.94%-5.28%, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites, pulmonary infection, bile leakage, and intra-abdominal hemorrhage were independent risk factors for post-operative 90-day reoperation ( RR=4.80, 3.62, 3.46, 4.99, 95% CI as 2.49-9.26, 1.42-9.21, 1.34-8.92, 1.55-16.06, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites demonstrated the highest PAF as 8.65% (95% CI as 8.22%-9.08%, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites, bile leakage, and liver failure were independent risk factors for postoperative 90-day readmission ( RR=6.20, 3.33, 14.33, 95% CI as 3.21-11.95, 1.33-8.35, 3.72-55.28, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites demonstrated the highest PAF as 9.11% (95% CI as 8.85%-9.37%, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites, pulmonary infection, bile leakage, liver failure, and wound infection were independent risk factors for prolonged postoperative hospital stay ( RR=2.29, 2.21, 2.26, 2.14, 3.35, 95% CI as 1.63-3.23, 1.41-3.46, 1.32-3.86, 1.11-4.13, 1.70-6.60, P<0.05). Intra-abdominal ascites demonstrated the highest PAF as 6.03% (95% CI as 5.71%-6.35%, P<0.05). Conclusion:Pulmonary infection is the most significant risk factor for postoperative 90-day mortality after curative-intent resection for GBC, while intra-abdominal ascites is the most significant risk factor for postoperative 90-day reoperation, postoperative 90-day readmission, and prolonged postoperative hospital stay.


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