1.Discussion on Scientific Connotation of Vital Qi Strengthening for Detoxification Therapy in Treatment of Community-acquired Pneumonia Based on Theory of "Vital Qi Deficiency and Toxic Stasis"
Hanxiao WANG ; Zheyu LUAN ; Haotian XU ; Xin PENG ; Ziming DANG ; Kun YANG ; Qianqian WANG ; Jihong FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):226-234
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) refers to an infectious inflammation of the lung parenchyma (including the alveolar wall,that is,the broad pulmonary interstitium) acquired outside the hospital. Its common pathogens include streptococcus pneumoniae,respiratory viruses, mycoplasma pneumoniae, and so on. The related factors for the occurrence and development of CAP include patient characteristics (immune function,mucus production and clearance function,coagulation function,physical condition, and comorbidity) and pathogen characteristics (susceptibility,virulence,and antibiotic resistance). The pathogenesis of CAP lies in immune deficiency,pathogen invasion,inflammatory response disorder,mucus production and clearance disorder, coagulation disorder, and so on. The pathogenesis of CAP in traditional Chinese medicine can be described as "vital Qi deficiency and toxic stasis". Vital Qi deficiency (lack of immunity) is the potential pathogenesis of the disease and easy to be invaded by external pathogens (respiratory pathogens). Toxic stasis (inflammatory disorder,mucus production and clearance disorder,and coagulation dysfunction) is the key pathogenic factor. Vital Qi deficiency and toxic stasis are intermingled in a state of deficiency and excess,which suggests that the treatment of CAP lies in strengthening vital Qi and eliminating pathogenic factors. This involves strengthening vital Qi in the whole process to consolidate body resistance and nourish promordial Qi. It also involves clearing heat,eliminating phlegm,removing dampness,and dispelling stasis to dispel pathogenic toxins based on the syndrome differentiation. Its action mechanism is to regulate immune and inflammatory responses,resist pathogens,and improve mucus production and clearance, as well as coagulation disorders. Starting from the key pathogenesis of CAP,"vital Qi deficiency and toxic stasis", this paper discussed the pathogenesis of CAP and summarized the action mechanism of vital Qi strengthening for detoxification in its treatment. It is intended to complement the theoretical system by identifying "vital Qi deficiency and toxic stasis" as the key pathogenesis underlying CAP and the scientific connotation of treating CAP with vital Qi strengthening for detoxification,thereby providing insights for its clinical application.
2.Molecular Mechanism of Programmed Cell Death in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention: A Review
Xin PENG ; Yunhui LI ; Lei LIANG ; Zheyu LUAN ; Hanxiao WANG ; Haotian XU ; Ziming DANG ; Jihong FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):304-313
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease that poses a significant threat to global health, exhibiting high morbidity, disability and mortality rate, with its prevention and treatment situation becoming increasingly critical. The pathogenesis of COPD is complex, and the underlying cellular and molecular biological mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Programmed cell death (PCD) is the process wherein cells actively undergo demise to maintain internal environmental stability in response to certain signals or specific stimuli. Contemporary medical research indicates that the dysregulation of PCD patterns such as apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis is closely related to the onset and progression of COPD. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms of PCD in COPD may provide novel perspectives for in-depth understanding and prevention of the disease. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is characterized by holistic regulation. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted in the TCM field focusing on modulating apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis for the treatment of COPD, yielding remarkable achievements. Therefore, this study systematically explored the molecular mechanism of PCD in COPD and reviewed the potential mechanisms and intervention status of TCM targeting PCD in COPD, aiming to provide insights and references for the clinical prevention, treatment and in-depth research of COPD.
3.Molecular Mechanism of Programmed Cell Death in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention: A Review
Xin PENG ; Yunhui LI ; Lei LIANG ; Zheyu LUAN ; Hanxiao WANG ; Haotian XU ; Ziming DANG ; Jihong FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):304-313
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease that poses a significant threat to global health, exhibiting high morbidity, disability and mortality rate, with its prevention and treatment situation becoming increasingly critical. The pathogenesis of COPD is complex, and the underlying cellular and molecular biological mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Programmed cell death (PCD) is the process wherein cells actively undergo demise to maintain internal environmental stability in response to certain signals or specific stimuli. Contemporary medical research indicates that the dysregulation of PCD patterns such as apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis is closely related to the onset and progression of COPD. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms of PCD in COPD may provide novel perspectives for in-depth understanding and prevention of the disease. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is characterized by holistic regulation. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted in the TCM field focusing on modulating apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis for the treatment of COPD, yielding remarkable achievements. Therefore, this study systematically explored the molecular mechanism of PCD in COPD and reviewed the potential mechanisms and intervention status of TCM targeting PCD in COPD, aiming to provide insights and references for the clinical prevention, treatment and in-depth research of COPD.
4.Thoughts of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment and Effect Mechanism of Haoqin Qingdantang in Treating Viral Pneumonia Based on Theory of Treating Different Diseases with Same Therapy
Xin PENG ; Haotian XU ; Lei LIANG ; Zheyu LUAN ; Hanxiao WANG ; Yihao ZHANG ; Kun YANG ; Jihong FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):209-217
The principle of treating different diseases with the same therapy is the essence of syndrome differentiation and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It means that when the same pathogenic changes or the same symptoms appear in the development of different diseases, the same principles or methods can be used for treatment. Due to the complexity and high variability of viral pathogenicity, the precise and effective treatment of different types of viral pneumonia (VP) has always been a research focus and difficulty in modern medicine. VP belongs to the category of external-contraction febrile disease, warm disease, and epidemic in TCM. Haoqin Qingdantang (HQQDD) is a representative formula for clearing heat and dispelling dampness in warm diseases, and its intervention in VP caused by various viral infections has significant effects. This study, guided by the theory of treating different diseases with the same therapy, links the related studies on using HQQDD to treat different types of VP and finds that influenza virus pneumonia (IVP), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and COVID-19 all have a common pathogenic mechanism of dampness-heat at different stages of respective diseases. When these diseases are dominated by damp-heat factors, the use of HQQDD yields remarkable therapeutic effects. Modern pharmacological studies have confirmed that HQQDD can inhibit virus replication, reduce fever reactions, inhibit the expression of inflammatory mediators, and regulate immune balance. Moreover, the sovereign medicine in this formula has excellent antiviral activity, and the formula reflects rich scientific connotations of treating VP. According to the theory of treating different diseases with the same therapy and based on the effective treatment practice and modern pharmacological research of HQQDD for different types of VP, this paper mines the underlying TCM theory of treatment with the same therapy, explores the syndrome differentiation and treatment strategy and effect mechanism of this formula for different types of VP, and analyzes the treatment mechanism and characteristics, with the aim of providing evidence and reference for the clinical application and modern research of HQQDD.
5.Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Regulating Immune Inflammation and Microvascular Damage in Preventing Recurrence of Pneumonia During Recovery Based on Combination of Pathogenic Factors
Xin PENG ; Haotian XU ; Lei LIANG ; Zheyu LUAN ; Hanxiao WANG ; Kun YANG ; Jihong FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(9):249-258
Pneumonia is an infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality worldwide, and its damage to the body is not limited to the acute phase. The theory of combination of pathogenic factors emphasizes that the combination of new pathogens and residual pathogens in the body leads to the occurrence of diseases, which generalizes the causes of recurrence during pneumonia recovery. During the recovery stage of pneumonia, pathological changes such as disturbance of immune homeostasis, persistent low-grade inflammation, and microvascular damage continue to affect the body function, impair the health and quality of life of patients, and increase the risk of secondary infection. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), pneumonia is caused by deficiency, and Qi deficiency and blood stasis is the core pathogenesis in the recovery stage. At this time, the body is not full of healthy qi and still has residual pathogens, and thus it is susceptible to external pathogenic factors that lead to disease recurrence. As an important part of the TCM philosophy of treating disease before its onset, prevention of recurrence after recovery emphasizes the need for aftercare in the recovery stage to prevent disease recurrence. Based on the pathogenesis theory of combination of pathogenic factors and the pathogenesis of Qi deficiency and blood stasis, this paper discusses the effect and connotation of TCM in regulating immune inflammation and microvascular damage in preventing recurrence of pneumonia during the recovery stage, aiming to develop new ideas for effective prevention and treatment of pneumonia at this stage.
6.Single-cell transcriptome analysis reveals abnormal angiogenesis and placentation by loss of imprinted glutaminyl-peptide cyclotransferase.
Jing GUO ; Jihong ZHENG ; Ruixia LI ; Jindong YAO ; He ZHANG ; Xu WANG ; Chao ZHANG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(6):589-608
Imprinted genes play a key role in regulating mammalian placental and embryonic development. Here, we generated glutaminyl-peptide cyclotransferase-knockout (Qpct-/-) mice utilizing the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) platform and identified Qpct as a novel anti-angiogenic factor in regulating mouse placentation. Compared with Qpct+/+ mice, placentae and embryos (Qpct-/+ and Qpct-/-) showed significant overgrowth at embryonic Day 12.5 (E12.5), E15.5, and E18.5. Using single-cell transcriptome analysis of 32 309 cells from Qpct+/+ and Qpct-/- mouse placentae, we identified 13 cell clusters via single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) (8880 Qpct+/+ and 13 577 Qpct-/- cells) and 20 cell clusters via single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) (6567 Qpct+/+ and 3285 Qpct-/- cells). Furthermore, we observed a global up-regulation of pro-angiogenic genes in the Qpct-/- background. Immunohistochemistry assays revealed a notable increase in the number of blood vessels in the decidual and labyrinthine layers of E15.5 Qpct-/+ and Qpct-/- mice. Moreover, the elevation of multiple pairs of ligand-receptor interactions was observed in decidual cells, endothelial cells, and macrophages, promoting angiogenesis and inflammatory response. Our findings indicate that loss of maternal Qpct leads to altered phenotypic characteristics of placentae and embryos and promotes angiogenesis in murine placentae.
Animals
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Female
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Pregnancy
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Mice
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Placentation/genetics*
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Single-Cell Analysis
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Gene Expression Profiling
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Mice, Knockout
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Transcriptome
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Placenta/blood supply*
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Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics*
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Genomic Imprinting
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Single-Cell Gene Expression Analysis
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Angiogenesis
7.Clinical characteristics and prognosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia complicated with cerebral hemorrhage in children
Xinru CHEN ; Jihong TANG ; Xiao XIAO ; Yinyin WU ; Huan XU ; Jun FENG
Basic & Clinical Medicine 2025;45(11):1480-1484
Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics,imaging features,laboratory test results,and prognosis of children with acute lymphoblast leukemia(ALL)complicated by cerebral hemorrhage.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 20 children with ALL complicated by cerebral hemor-rhage admitted to the Department of Hematology,Children's Hospital of Soochow University from June 20,2014 to June 20,2024.Results The clinical manifestation of the 20 children with ALL complicated by cerebral hemorrhage were complex and diverse,with disturbance of consciousness being the most common initial symptom.The prognosis varied depending on the size and location of the hematoma and whether it ruptured into the ventricle.Among the 20 cases,14(70%)demonstrated improvement in intracranial lesions,with 8(40%)cases exhibiting substantial lesion absorption and favorable prognosis.Six cases(30%)showed improvement in intracranial lesions but not complete resolution,three cases developed focal encephalomalacia,two cases had residual symptomatic epi-lepsy and one had residual right-sided hemiplegia.Furthermore,three(15%)cases suffered recurrent cerebral hemorrhages at distinct locations from the initial event following improvement of the primary hemorrhage,and 3(15%)cases led to mortality.Conclusions Neurological symptoms in children with acute lymphoblast leukemia(ALL)complicated by cerebral hemorrhage are diverse and often atypical.Timely cranial imaging and laboratory tests are necessary,while surgical intervention and platelet transfusion should be a prudential consideration.
8.Construction and validation of prediction models for delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning based on machine learning
Yanwu YU ; Yan ZHANG ; Ding YUAN ; Huihui HAO ; Fang YANG ; Hongyi YAN ; Pin JIANG ; Mengnan GUO ; Zhigao XU ; Changhua SUN ; Gaiqin YAN ; Lu CHE ; Jianjun GUO ; Jihong CHEN ; Yan LI ; Yanxia GAO
Chinese Journal of Emergency Medicine 2025;34(10):1403-1409
Objective:s To investigate the risk factors for delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP) in patients with acute carbon monoxide poisoning (ACOP) and to develop predictive models based on machine learning algorithms.Methods:Patients with ACOP hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from August 2019 to October 2024 were included, with the occurrence of DEACMP as the outcome measure. The dataset was randomly divided into training and validation sets at a ratio of 7:3. Lasso regression was used to select features influencing the outcome in training sets. Nine machine learning models—including Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Support Vector Machine (SVM)—were constructed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted and the area under the curve (AUC) calculated for each model. Calibration curves were used to assess accuracy, and decision curve analysis (DCA) was applied to evaluate clinical utility. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was employed to visualize and interpret the best-performing model.Results:A total of 264 ACOP patients were included, of whom 54 (20.5%) developed DEACMP. Lasso regression identified eight key feature variables. Based on these factors, predictive models were constructed, showing good AUC stability across the nine machine learning models in both training (0.92–0.99) and validation sets (0.85–0.91). The RF model performed best, with an AUC of 0.99 in the training set and 0.90 in the validation set; its calibration curve and DCA curve also demonstrated excellent performance. SHAP analysis of the RF model revealed the importance ranking of factors from highest to lowest as follows: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, duration of coma, age, history of coronary heart disease, CK-MB level, monocyte count, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and drinking history.Conclusions:The RF model exhibited the highest predictive performance for DEACMP occurrence in ACOP patients. The influencing factors, ranked in order of importance from highest to lowest, are as follows: GCS score, duration of coma, age, history of coronary heart disease, CK-MB level, monocyte count, DBP, and drinking history.
9.Regulation mechanism of ischemic preconditioning renal tubular cell-derived exosomes on PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in rats with renal ischemia reperfusion injury
Jiahui CHEN ; Yanzi ZHANG ; Aisha ZHANG ; Xiaolu SUI ; Yunpeng XU ; Tingfei XIE ; Jihong CHEN
Chinese Journal of Nephrology 2024;40(9):732-740
This study aims to establish a rat model of renal ischemia reperfusion injury (RIRI) to observe the alterations in the expression of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway following various exosome treatments. Additionally, differential miRNA expression analysis will be conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of exosomes derived from ischemic preconditioned (IPC) renal tubular cells in mitigating RIRI in rats. Initially, ten SD rats were subjected to bilateral nephrectomy under general anesthesia to prepare primary renal tubular cells. The second-generation renal tubular cells were then subjected to the following treatments for 12 hours: normoxia (38% O 2, 5% CO 2), hypoxia (1% O 2, 5% CO 2), and hypoxia plus inactivation (heated at 65 ℃ for 30 minutes). Following these treatments, exosomes were extracted, yielding normoxic exosomes, IPC exosomes, and inactivated exosomes, respectively. A subsequent cohort of 50 SD rats was randomly divided into five groups: Sham group, RIRI group, RIRI + normoxic exosome group (NC group), RIRI + IPC exosome group (IPC group), and RIRI + inactivated exosome group (INA group). RIRI model was established in the latter four groups. Twenty-four hours after RIRI modeling, the NC, IPC, and INA groups received intravenous injections of 200 μg of normoxic exosomes, IPC exosomes, and inactivated exosomes via the tail vein, respectively. Six days later, venous blood samples were collected, and both kidneys were excised to observe renal function, histopathological changes in kidney tissue, and alterations in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway among the five groups. Furthermore, differential miRNA expression analysis [ P<0.05, |log 2(Fold Change)|≥1] was conducted between the NC and IPC groups to investigate the changes in the miRNA expression profile. Subsequently, GO analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed. The results revealed that: (1) Compared with the Sham group, the RIRI and INA groups exhibited elevated levels of serum creatinine and urea nitrogen (all P<0.01). Histopathological examination of kidney tissues showed substantial inflammatory cell infiltration in the interstitium accompanied by varying degrees of edema, degenerative swelling of tubular structures, necrosis, and detachment of tubular epithelial cells. Notably, the number of TUNEL-positive cells was significantly increased, while the number of Ki67-stained positive cells was markedly decreased. Additionally, the mRNA and protein expression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in RIRI group and INA group were down-regulated. (2) Compared to the NC group, the IPC group demonstrated lower levels of serum creatinine and urea nitrogen (both P<0.01). Notably, there was a significant decrease in the accumulation of inflammatory cells in the renal interstitium, and tissue edema was markedly improved. Moreover, the number of TUNEL-positive cells was reduced, while the number of Ki67-stained positive cells was significantly increased. Additionally, the mRNA and protein expressions of PI3K, PDK1, AKT, and mTOR were all up-regulated (all P<0.05). (3) Compared to the NC group, 56 miRNAs were up-regulated and 42 miRNAs were down-regulated in the IPC group. The target genes of GO enrichment analysis were PIK3C2A, PIK3CA, PIK3CB, PIK3CD, PIK3C2G, AKT1, mTOR, Rheb, and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment in PI3K/AKT signal pathway and mTOR signal pathway. In conclusion, this study reveals that during the course of RIRI, exosomes derived from IPC renal tubular cells induce differential miRNA expression in kidney tissues, resulting in enhanced expression of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, which plays a pivotal role in mitigating RIRI in rats.
10.Clinical characteristics and prognosis of acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia complicated with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in children
Xinyu ZHOU ; Jihong TANG ; Xiao XIAO ; Jun FENG ; Letian YANG ; Huan XU ; Yinyin WU
Basic & Clinical Medicine 2024;44(10):1394-1399
Objective To summarize the characteristics of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy(CIPN)in children with acute B-lymphoblast leukemia(B-ALL)and to identify the influencing factors and prognosis of CIPN.Methods The clinical data of 60 children with B-ALL admitted to the 29th Ward of the Department of Hematology and Oncology,Children's Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University from June 2020 to December 2023 who received chemotherapy and had finished chemotherapy for 6 months were retrospectively reviewed.Results There were 37 cases of B-ALL combined with CIPN;the incidence of CIPN was 61.7% .Increasing age of onset was a risk factor for CIPN in children[OR=1.209,95% CI(1.023-1.428),P=0.026]with the highest incidence of sensory nerve dysfunction(78.4% ).Electromyography indicated that B-ALL combined with CIPN was multiple peripheral neurogenic lesions with certain reversibility.In the induction stage of chemotherapy,13 cases(35.1% )showed CIPN,accounting for the highest proportion.The CIPN improvement rate 6 months after chemotherapy was 67.6%,the age of onset[OR=2.418,95% CI(0.212-2.106),P=0.018]and the severity of CIPN[OR=203.394,95% CI(2.29-18 065.04). P=0.02]were risk factors for poor prognosis of children with CIPN.The older the age of onset was,the higher the severity of CIPN and worse prognosis were found.Conclusions Children with B-ALL complicated with CIPN are reversible multiple peripheral nerve lesions,and the occurrence and outcome of CIPN is potentially related to individual differences of children.

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