1.Huayu Mingmu Prescription Downregulates PI3K/Akt/mTOR-HIF-1α/VEGFA Signaling Pathway to Intervene in Retinal Angiogenesis of DR Rats
Xiaoqiu MA ; Lei ZHAO ; Huimin ZHOU ; Fanghui ZHENG ; Guoqing YANG ; Tao ZUO ; Xiande MA
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):78-87
ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Huayu Mingmu prescription on retinal angiogenesis and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR)-hypoxia inducible factor-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor A (HIF-1α/VEGFA) signaling pathway in diabetic retinopathy (DR) rats. MethodsSixty-four SPF-grade male SD rats were used in the study. Eleven rats were randomly selected as the normal group, while the remaining 53 rats were fed a high-sugar, high-fat diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneal injection to establish a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat model. DR model evaluation was performed after 12 weeks of diabetes. The rats were then divided into model, low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups of Huayu Mingmu prescription (9.29, 18.57, 37.14 g·kg-1), and a calcium dobesilate group (0.16 g·kg-1), with 10 rats in each group. The rats were orally administered the corresponding doses of Huayu Mingmu prescription and calcium dobesilate. The normal and model groups received equal volumes of physiological saline via gavage for 8 consecutive weeks. Retinal vascular changes were observed through fundus photography, and pathological changes in retinal tissue were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Retinal microvascular pathological changes were examined through retinal vascular network preparation and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Immunofluorescence (IF) was used to detect the expression of VEGFA and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) in retinal tissue. Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, HIF-1α, VEGFA, and VEGFR2 in retinal tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to assess the mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, HIF-1α, VEGFA, and VEGFR2 in retinal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group exhibited significant pathological changes in retinal tissue, including the appearance of acellular capillaries, as well as significant endothelial cell (E) proliferation and pericyte (P) loss (P<0.01). The E/P was significantly elevated (P<0.01). Protein and mRNA expression levels of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, HIF-1α, VEGFA, and VEGFR2 in retinal tissue were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the expression of Ang-2 protein was significantly elevated (P<0.01). In contrast, retinal tissue in the treatment groups showed alleviated pathological changes, with reduced endothelial cell proliferation and pericyte loss (P<0.05, P<0.01). Among the treatment groups, the high-dose Huayu Mingmu prescription and the calcium dobesilate group exhibited a decreased E/P (P<0.01). Protein and mRNA expression levels of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, HIF-1α, VEGFA, and VEGFR2 in retinal tissue were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the expression of Ang-2 protein was significantly decreased (P<0.01). ConclusionHuayu Mingmu prescription can intervene in retinal neovascularization in DR rats, delay the progression of DR, and its mechanism may be related to antagonizing the PI3K/Akt/mTOR-HIF-1α/VEGFA signaling pathway.
2.Diagnostic performance and association of liver imaging reporting and data system v2018 CT signs with hepatocellular carcinoma
Linwei ZHAO ; Yong LI ; Guoqing YANG ; Min FENG ; Gaowu YAN ; Chengkun YIN ; Jiajia WU
Journal of Practical Radiology 2025;41(5):785-789
Objective To explore the association and diagnostic performance of liver imaging reporting and data system(LI-RADS)CT signs with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)both in the LI-RADS target population and patients without LI-RADS-defined HCC risk factors.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 435 patients with 482 hepatic lesions confirmed by pathology.Of these,306 cases were assigned to the HCC group(327 HCC lesions),and other 129 cases were assigned to the non-HCC group(77 malignancies and 78 benign lesions).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis assessed the diagnostic performance of LI-RADS v2018 CT signs for HCC,and logistic regression analyses determined the association of CT signs with HCC.Results The asso-ciation of CT signs with all HCC lesions was statistically significant for non-peripheral washout[odds ratio(OR)15.1;95% confi-dence interval(CI)5.6-40.4;P<0.01]and non-rim arterial phase hyperenhancement(APHE)(OR 12.4;95% CI 7.5-20.5;P<0.01)higher than enhanced capsule(OR 9.9;95% CI 2.8-34.8;P<0.01;OR 2.4;95% CI 1.4-3.8;P=0.01).The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value(PPV),and area under the curve(AUC)for diagnosing HCC were 85%,83%,91%,and 0.84,respectively for non-peripheral washout;82%,77%,88% and 0.79,respectively for non-rim APHE;and 31%,98%,97% and 0.65,respectively for enhanced capsule.Sensitivity(88% vs 87%),specificity(83% vs 82%),PPV(92% vs 91%)and AUC(0.90 vs 0.87)were all slightly higher when non-peripheral washout,non-rim APHE,enhanced capsule,and ancillary features were combined for the diagnosis of HCC compared to combining the three major features.Enhanced capsule(OR 13.3;95% CI 3.6-48.9;P<0.01),blood products in mass(OR 20.3;95% CI 2.4-171.4;P<0.01),and mosaic appearance(OR 37.7;95% CI 4.2-340.0;P<0.01)were associations with HCC presenting with atypical imaging features and provided high specificity from 98% to 99%.Conclusion In theLI-RADS target population and patients without LI-RADS-defined HCC risk factors,LI-RADS v2018 CT signs show excellent diag-nostic performance for HCC.Two ancillary features,blood products in mass and mosaic appearance,show good specificity for HCC with atypical imaging features.
3.The role of host protein RBM8A in the replication of pseudorabies virus
Xiangqi QIU ; Jingyu SUN ; Jianhang HE ; Xing YANG ; Xiuwen YANG ; Guoqing ZHUANG ; Aijun SUN
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(10):2126-2132
RNA binding motif protein 8A(RBM8A)is an RNA binding protein,which is mainly in-volved in translation and cell cycle regulation.In addition,RBM8A is a core factor of the exon-junc-tion complex(EJC),which is highly expressed in cells,especially in cancer cells,and abnormally expressed in cytoplasm and nucleus.Studies have shown that RBM8A plays a key regulatory role in the replication process of some viruses,such as Flaviviridae viruses.Therefore,whether RBM8A is involved in the replication of pseudorabies virus(PRV)is unknown.Therefore,this study proved whether RBM8A is involved in the replication of PRV.In order to study the effect of RBM8A pro-tein on PRV replication,the eukaryotic expression plasmid pCAGGS-HA-RBM8A was designed and constructed to express RBM8A,and sh-RBM8A was simultaneously designed and constructed to overexpress and inhibit RBM8A.qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the effect of RBM8A on PRV replication.At the same time,PRV-GB standard plasmid was constructed to make PRV proliferation standard curve.After overexpression and inhibition of RBM8A,DNA was ex-tracted.Virus copy number was calculated by qRT-PCR to further detect the effect of RBM8A on PRV replication.The results showed that overexpression of RBM8A inhibited PRV replication and decreased the copy number of the virus,while overexpression of shRBM8A promoted PRV replication and increased the copy number of the virus.This study shows that RBM8A can inhibit PRV replication,which provides reference for the functional study of RBM8A and lays a founda-tion for the mechanism of anti-PRV replication.
4.Risk assessment tools for 0-6 years old children unintentional injuries: A systematic literature analysis.
Yang YUAN ; Li LI ; Guoqing HU
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2025;50(1):130-142
OBJECTIVES:
Injuries are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. Although numerous risk assessment tools for unintentional injuries in children have been developed and published both domestically and internationally, there is currently no global consensus on standardized use. This study aims to systematically characterize existing unintentional injury risk assessment tools for children aged 0-6 years, with the goal of informing scientific tool selection and optimization.
METHODS:
Relevant literature published up to January 2025 was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, and Web of Science. An information extraction form was developed to gather data on the basic features of each assessment tool, assessment format, scoring methods and criteria, dimensions assessed, reliability and validity, and types of unintentional injuries covered.
RESULTS:
A total of 50 risk assessment tools for unintentional injuries among children aged 0-6 years were included. Among them, 35 tools assessed two or more types of unintentional injuries. Regarding assessment format, 38 tools relied on caregiver self-report, 2 on investigator interviews, 3 on direct observation by investigators, and 7 used multiple methods. The tools covered four major dimensions: knowledge, attitude, behavior, and environment. Eleven tools covered 3 dimensions, while only one tool addressed all 4. Nineteen tools provided clear scoring methods, 14 included criteria for risk determination, and only 11 had both scoring methods and risk criteria. Twenty-eight tools lacked both. Twenty-two tools had been evaluated for reliability and/or validity. Among the 25 English-language tools, only 3 had been translated into Chinese.
CONCLUSIONS
Currently, no existing tool comprehensively assesses all major types of unintentional injuries for children under six years of age. It is recommended that practitioners select appropriate tools based on specific needs. In addition, improvements should be pursued, such as translating and validating English-language tools, developing quantitative scoring methods and criteria for tools tailored to Chinese children for important but underrepresented injury types (e.g., road traffic injuries, drowning).
Humans
;
Infant
;
Child, Preschool
;
Child
;
Risk Assessment/methods*
;
Accidental Injuries/prevention & control*
;
Infant, Newborn
;
Wounds and Injuries/epidemiology*
;
Reproducibility of Results
5.Progress in research of textual quality evaluation of health-related media reports
Lei YANG ; Min ZHAO ; Shuying ZHAO ; Wangxin XIAO ; Peixia CHENG ; Guoqing HU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(7):1269-1275
Objective:To summarize the progress in the research of textual quality evaluation of health-related media reports.Methods:A systematic literature retrieval about textual quality evaluation of health-related media reports based on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Wanfang database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure was conducted. Information regarding the textual quality definition, evaluation dimensions, indicators and methods of included papers was extracted.Results:A total of 29 study papers were included in this analysis, in which 26 were about retrospective textual quality evaluation of health-related media reports, and 3 were about the model or tool development for textual quality evaluation of health-related media reports. The topics of news reports included: 16 studies on injury, 3 on general health, 3 on infectious disease, 3 on cancer screening and treatment, 3 on chronic non-communicable disease, and 1 on medication risk. The definition of textual quality of health-related media reports and the dimensions of the quality evaluation varied across the studies. The quality evaluation indicators of media reports can be divided into three categories: availability of surveillance information, availability of professional information, and adherence to principles of media reporting. Most studies conducted the quality evaluation manually, with only 2 studies employing semi-automated or automated evaluation methods.Conclusions:No unified definition, set of dimensions, indicators, or automated algorithms exist for evaluating the textual quality of health-related media reports, which limits assessing massive news data effectively. It is necessary to conduct methodological studies on the textual quality evaluation of health-related media reports based on journalism and communication theory, infodemiology, deep learning, natural language processing, text mining, as well as specific disease and injury prevention theory.
6.Correlations of chest CT quantitative parameters and readmission within one year in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Guoqing SUN ; Lu YANG ; Liyu HE ; Min TIAN ; Bingjie ZHU ; Bahadori PARDIS ; Yanrong CHEN ; Chenwang JIN
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2025;41(7):1097-1102
Objective To observe the correlations of chest CT quantitative parameters and one-year readmission in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD).Methods Totally 225 AECOPD patients were included and divided into the readmission group(group A,n=61)and non-readmission group(group B,n=164)according to whether readmitted due to acute exacerbation within one year or not.Quantitative CT parameters,including the percentage of low attenuation area volume to total lung volume(LAA%)and intrapulmonary vascular volume(IPVV)of the whole lung,left/right lung and each lobe,as well as the bronchial lumen area(LA)and percentage of bronchial wall area(WA%)of grades 3-8 were compared between groups.Spearman correlations were used to analyze the correlations between quantitative CT parameters and one-year readmission.Results LAA%of the whole lung,right lung,upper lobe of both lungs,middle lobe of the right lung,and lower lobe of the right lung in group A were higher than that in group B(all P<0.05),which were weakly positively correlated with readmissions within one year(r=0.142-0.187,all P<0.05).Significant differences of the upper lobe of right lung LAgrade 6,lower lobe of left lung LAgrade 6,lower lobe of left lung LAgrade 8,upper lobe of right lung WA%grade 5,upper lobe of right lung WA%grade 8 and lower lobe of left lung WA%grade 8 were found between groups,which were all correlated with readmissions within one year except for the lower lobe of the left lung LAgrade 6(all P<0.05).Conclusion One-year readmission in AECOPD patients might be associated with severe airway remodeling and emphysema.
7.Epidemiological burden of tetanus in China from 1990 to 2021
Ji XU ; Guoqing HUANG ; Ning YANG ; Liping ZHOU ; Xiaoye MO ; Shanshan HU ; Ping WU ; Changshou SHE
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2025;24(7):923-931
Objective Tetanus is a serious infectious diseases with high mortality,which is an important global public health issue.This study aims to analyze the epidemiological burden and changing trends of tetanus in China from 1990 to 2021,providing a basis for disease prevention and control.Methods Epidemiological indicators and global socio-demographic index(SDI)related to tetanus in China were retrieved and collected from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease database(GBD 2021).The trend analysis of the incidence rate,mortality rate and disability-ad-justed life years(DALYs)rate of tetanus in China from 1990 to 2021 was conducted by Joinpoint 5.3 software.Results From 1990 to 2021,the age-standardized incidence rate(ASIR),age-standardized mortality rate(ASMR),and age-standardized disability-adjusted life years(DALYs)rate of tetanus in China decreased significantly(average annual percent change[AAPC]<0,P<0.001),with males being significantly higher than females.The crude incidence rate,crude mortality rate,and crude DALYs rate for all age groups showed overall declining trends,with the lar-gest decline in the 0-14 years age group.In 2021,the crude incidence rate,crude mortality rate,and crude DALYs rate of tetanus in the population aged 70-years were higher than those in the population aged 0-14,15-49,and 50-69 years groups.The ASIR,ASMR,and age-standardized DALYs rate of tetanus in China in 2021 were lower than the global level,only higher than those in the high SDI regions.Conclusion From 1990 to 2021,the disease burden of tetanus in China varied with gender and age,with an overall declining trend over time.It is necessary to strengthen tetanus health education for males and the ≥70 years population,and to improve the overall level of pri-mary prevention measures for tetanus.
8.Daoqi acupuncture technique in Huangdi Neijing for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.
Guoqing ZHU ; Na ZHAO ; Lin TANG ; Weihua SONG ; Xintong YU ; Wenjia YANG ; Ruilong LIANG
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(7):911-917
OBJECTIVE:
To observe the clinical efficacy of Daoqi (directing qi flowing) acupuncture technique in Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic) for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).
METHODS:
Sixty patients with moderate-to-severe OSAHS were randomly divided into a Daoqi acupuncture group (30 cases) and a conventional acupuncture group (30 cases, 1 case dropped out). In the Daoqi acupuncture group, Daoqi acupuncture technique in Huangdi Neijing was applied at Shanglianquan (Extra), Fengfu (GV16), and bilateral Lieque (LU7), Zhaohai (KI6); in the conventional acupuncture group, conventional acupuncture was applied at Shanglianquan (Extra), Fengfu (GV16), Yamen (GV15), and bilateral Lieque (LU7), Zhaohai (KI6), Zusanli (ST36), Fenglong (ST40). The treatment was adopted once every other day, 3 times a week, 4 weeks as one course and 3 courses were required totally in both groups. Before and after treatment, the polysomnography (PSG) indexes [apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), hypopnea index (HI), apnea index (AI), longest apnea duration, lowest nocturnal SaO2 (LSaO2)], and scores of Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) were observed, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated after treatment in the two groups.
RESULTS:
After treatment, the AHI, HI, AI and longest apnea duration were reduced compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01), the LSaO2 was increased in the Daoqi acupuncture group (P<0.01); in the Daoqi acupuncture group, the AHI, HI, AI and longest apnea duration were lower than those in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05), and the LSaO2 was higher than that in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, the ESS and PSQI scores were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01), while the WHOQOL-BREF scores were increased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01) in the two groups; in the Daoqi acupuncture group, the ESS and PSQI scores were lower than those in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the WHOQOL-BREF score was higher than that in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the Daoqi acupuncture group, which was higher than 82.8% (24/29) in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.01).
CONCLUSION
Daoqi acupuncture technique in Huangdi Neijing can effectively treat moderate-to-severe OSAHS patients, improve the clinical symptoms and quality of life, and has the advantages i.e. simpler acupoints selection and gentler stimulation.
Humans
;
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/physiopathology*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Acupuncture Therapy
;
Adult
;
Acupuncture Points
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Aged
;
Quality of Life
9.Research progress on alternation of the m6A modification-associated epitranscrip-tomes and related function during animal virus infection
Xilong YANG ; Xiangqi QIU ; Jiajing TIAN ; Mengjie LI ; Lele GONG ; Lele WANG ; Aijun SUN ; Guoqing ZHUANG
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(1):163-169,174
Diseases caused by animal virus infection seriously restricts the healthy development of animal husbandry.In-depth study of the molecular mechanism of viral replication and pathogenesis will provide theoretical basis for screening vaccine and drug targets.N6-methyladenosine(m6 A)modification occurs extensively in viral and host transcriptomes and affects viral replication and pathogenicity by regulating gene expression,which acts as a novel regulator of gene expression in addition to DNA and protein modifications.Insight into the regulatory molecular mechanism of m6 A modification in virus infection is the research hotspots and frontiers.In recent years,there are re-ports of alternation of the m6 A modification-associated epitranscriptomes and related function a-nalysis during virus infection.Here,we summarize the alternation of the epitranscriptomes induced by African swine fever virus(ASFV),porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus(PRRSV),porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus(PEDV),cestode virus(CSFV),porcine pseudorabies virus(PRV),Marek's disease virus(MDV),Newcastle disease virus(NDV),avian leukaemia virus(ALV)and duck hepatitis A virus(DHAV)infection,and the subsequent effects on viral replica-tion and pathogenicity.We also discuss the potential role and molecular mechanism of m6 A modification in animal virus replication and pathogenesis,which will contributes to the prevention and control for animal disease.
10.Study on the Mechanism of Regulating Extracellular Matrix by Tongdu Qishen Acupuncture to Improve Cerebral Blood Flow and Enhance Learning and Memory Ability in SAMP8 Mice
Guoqing WU ; Zidong WANG ; Jiayi YANG ; Yilin TAO ; Jing JIANG ; Xiaoming GAO ; Zhigang LI
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(2):355-363
Objective This study aims to investigate the effects of acupuncture on the spatial learning and memory capacities,the morphological characteristics of hippocampal neurons,the components of extracellular matrix,as well as the structure of the blood-brain barrier in SAMP8 mice.Moreover,it endeavors to explore the underlying mechanism through which the"Tongdu Qishen"(activating governor vessel and awakening spirit)acupuncture method ameliorates the cognitive function and modulates cerebral blood flow in SAMP8 mice.Methods Twenty 6-month-old male SAMP8 mice were randomly allocated into a model group and an electroacupuncture group,with ten mice in each group.Additionally,ten homologous 6-month-old male SAMR1 mice were designated as the normal control group.In the electroacupuncture group,the acupoint"Renzhong"(GV 26)was punctured using a quick insertion technique,while"Baihui"(GV 20)and"Yintang"(EX-HN 3)were punctured via a transverse insertion method.Subsequently,the needle handles were connected to an electroacupuncture apparatus,which was set to operate with a dense-sparse wave at a frequency of 100 Hz/2 Hz and an electric current of 2 mA.Each session of acupuncture lasted for 20 minutes and was conducted once a day for a consecutive period of 28 days.The normal group,the model group,and the electroacupuncture group all underwent identical fixation and restraint procedures to ensure consistent experimental conditions.The Morris water maze was employed to evaluate the spatial learning and memory abilities of the mice.The Nissl staining technique was utilized to assess the alterations in hippocampal neurons of SAMP8 mice.The laser speckle imaging system was adopted to measure the cerebral blood flow of the mice in each group.Transmission electron microscopy was applied to observe the ultrastructure of the blood-brain barrier within the frontal cortex tissue of the SAMP8 mice's brains.The Western blotting method was used to detect the expressions of Collagen-Ⅳ and Fibronectin in the brain tissues of SAMP8 mice.Results In comparison with the model group,the"Tongdu Qishen"acupuncture method demonstrated a significant efficacy in improving the spatial learning and memory abilities of SAMP8 mice(P<0.05).It also effectively alleviated the degeneration of hippocampal neurons,remarkably increased the cerebral blood flow perfusion volume of SAMP8 mice(P<0.05),ameliorated the damage to the blood-brain barrier structure,significantly upregulated the content of Collagen-Ⅳ(P<0.05),and significantly downregulated the content of Fibronectin(P<0.0001).Conclusion The"Tongdu Qishen"acupuncture method is capable of favorably regulating the extracellular matrix of SAMP8 mice,thereby improving cerebral blood flow and ultimately enhancing their learning and memory abilities.

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