1.Construction of Perimenopausal Depression Animal Models and Mechanism of Action of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Xiaoting LI ; Shouzhu XU ; Jun KE ; Zhan ZHANG ; Bao XIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):258-267
Perimenopausal depression (PMD) is an affective disorder that occurs in women during the transition from sexual maturity to old age. It can induce various complications, such as insomnia and cognitive decline. The etiology of PMD is complex. Although multiple hypotheses have been proposed, there is still no unified theory that fully explains its pathogenesis. Research into its mechanisms relies heavily on animal experiments, and establishing reliable animal models is crucial for experimental studies. Appropriate animal models can better simulate human pathophysiological states, rapidly evaluate the efficacy and safety of drugs and intervention methods, grasp the essence of the disease, and uncover its intrinsic connections, thereby exploring more advanced intervention strategies. However, there is a lack of systematic review and summarization of literature related to model construction. Additionally, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), adhering to the principles of ''syndrome differentiation and treatment'' and ''holistic concept'', has shown significant efficacy in treating PMD. In recent years, research exploring and analyzing its therapeutic mechanisms has been increasing. Therefore, to gain a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of PMD animal modeling methods and the mechanisms of TCM, this paper reviewed Chinese and English literature on PMD animal models and mechanisms of TCM in PMD treatment. It summarized the construction methods of single-factor and multi-factor PMD models, and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each modeling approach. Furthermore, it delved into the mechanisms of TCM intervention in PMD, revealing that TCM formulas primarily exert their effects by regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, gut-brain axis, cell signaling pathways, neural circuits, hormone levels, and neurotransmitter levels. This review aims to provide a reference for future research in this field. In summary, by summarizing the progress in the methods for PMD animal model construction and the mechanisms of TCM, the paper seeks to offer new insights into the mechanistic research of TCM intervention in PMD.
2.Research Progress in miRNA-mediated Regulation of Glucose Metabolism Pathways in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus(T2DM)
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1467-1477
Type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized primarily by pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance.Beyond impaired glucose homeostasis,the glucotox-icity resulting from dysregulated glucose metabolism can lead to complications such as diabetic nephropa-thy,diabetic coronary heart disease,and diabetic cognitive dysfunction,posing severe threats to patients' health.Therefore,enhancing glucose metabolism and improving insulin resistance are critical strategies for T2DM prevention and treatment.Currently,the primary therapeutic approaches for T2DM include oral hypoglycemic agents and exogenous insulin injections.However,these methods face challenges such as unclear diagnostic markers,suboptimal therapeutic efficacy,and drug-related side effects.Consequently,the development of more precise and effective treatment strategies remains a top priority in clinical re-search.MicroRNA(miRNA)is a short non-coding RNA that regulates gene transcription.It has been reported to exhibit significant alterations even before the onset of overt pathological features like hypergly-cemia,suggesting their potential as early diagnostic biomarkers for T2DM to address current issues like delayed diagnosis and disease progression due to missed optimal treatment windows.Moreover,miRNAs can modulate the expression of pathways involved in glucose metabolism,thereby improving insulin resist-ance and maintaining glucose homeostasis while avoiding side effects associated with conventional thera-pies,such as reduced bone density and localized fat accumulation.This positions miRNAs as a promising avenue for precise and efficient T2DM management.This article systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which miRNAs regulate glucose metabolism-related pathways,providing a theoretical foundation and reference for future clinical research.
3.EIF5A2 promotes epithelial mesenchymal transition in intrahepatic chol-angiocarcinoma cells through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway
Shao-hua YANG ; Yong-ping XU ; Zhuo-yu ZHAO ; Shi-bo ZHANG ; Xing-bao FANG ; Zhou-jun LIAO
Chinese Journal of Current Advances in General Surgery 2025;28(10):757-762
Objective:To investigate the the differential expression of EIF5A2 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cell lines RBE,HCCC9810,and HUCCT1,and its effects on HCCC9810 cell migration and invasion,epithelial mesenchymal transition,and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Methods:The differential expression of EIF5A2 in RBE,HCCC9810,and HUCCT1 cell lines was detected using WB method.The HCCC9810 cell line,with the highest expression of EIF5A2,was selected for this experiment.The expression of EIF5A2 in HCCC9810 cell line was silenced by transient transfection of small interfering RNA.The best silencing effect of small interfering RNA was screened by WB.Scratch assay and Tran-swell migration invasion assay were used to detect the effect of silencing EIF5A2 on the migration and invasion ability of HCCC9810 cells.WB was used to detect the effect of silencing EIF5A2 on PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and epithelial mesenchymal transition in HCCC9810 cells.Results:The WB results showed that EIF5A2 had the highest expression in the HCCC9810 cell line,and siRNA1 had the best silencing effect on EIF5A2 in the HCCC9810 cell line.Scratch assay and Transwell migration invasion assay results showed that silencing EIF5A2 in the HCCC9810 cell line resulted in a decrease in cell invasion and metastasis ability(P<0.05).At the same time,the expression of p-PI3K and p-AKT in the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the epithelial cell marker E-cadherin expression increased(P<0.05)and the stromal cell marker N-cadherin expression decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion:EIF5A2 may promote epi-thelial mesenchymal transition and enhance the migration and invasion ability of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cells through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
4.Longitudinal trajectory of perioperative changes in thyroid-stimulating hormone and recovery after microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules
Chinese Journal of Current Advances in General Surgery 2025;28(6):421-428
Objective:To investigate the relationship between the longitudinal trajectory of perioperative changes in TSH and recovery after microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules.Methods:251 BTN patients admitted to our hospital from October 2021 to October 2024 were selected as the study subjects,and the group-based trajectory mod-eling(GBTM)model grouping principle was applied to determine the development trajectory of TSH levels.Multiple lin-ear regression was used to analyze the relationship between thyroid function and serum inflammatory factors before and after surgery in patients with different TSH level development trajectories;Cox regression was used to analyze the relationship between TSH level change trajectories and therapeutic efficacy and trend test was performed;binary log-binomial regression model was applied to calculate the relative risk(RR)of postoperative complication rates in different groups of patients.Results:In patients with BTN,four different trajectories of TSH level development were identified:low-stable(90 cases),low-growth(47 cases),medium-growth(63 cases),and high-growth(51 cases).There was a sta-tistically significant difference in surgical efficacy between the developmental trajectories of different TSH levels(P<0.05),and the low-stable type had the highest apparent and overall efficacy rates,followed by the low-growth type.The postoperative and preoperative thyroid function indexes and serum inflammatory factors of patients with different TSH level development trajectories showed statistical differences(P<0.05),the postoperative index levels of FT3 and FT4 were lower than preoperative,and the postoperative index levels of IL-8,hs-CRP,and TNF-α were higher than the preoperative ones,and the postoperative indexes of thyroid function(FT3,FT4)and serum inflammatory factors of the four groups of patients(IL-8,hs-CRP,TNF-α)showed statistically significant differences(P<0.05).The results of multiple linear regression showed that TSH levels were negatively correlated(P<0.05)with thyroid function indices(FT3,FT4)and positively correlated(P<0.05)with serum inflammatory factors(IL-8,hs-CRP,TNF-α).The results of COX re-gression analysis showed that the difference in trend test was statistically significant(P<0.001)among low-growth,medium-growth,and high-growth types,using low-stable type as a reference.The difference in the total postopera-tive complication rate among the four groups was statistically significant(P<0.05),and the risk of total postoperative complications was elevated in patients with low-growth,medium-growth,and high-growth types compared with low-stable types(RR>1,P<0.05).Conclusion:TSH levels were closely associated with recovery after microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules,TSH levels were negatively correlated with FT3 and FT4,and positively correlated with IL-8,hs-CRP,and TNF-α.The low-stabilized type had the highest apparent and total efficiency,followed by the low-growth type.
5.Clinical analysis of fusion therapy for type Ⅱ painful scaphoid of foot accessory
Jun-jie LI ; Jiang-feng ZHANG ; Jia-bao DONG ; Mi-yang XU ; Gen-rui ZHU ; Xiong-feng LI
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2025;38(6):608-612
Objective To explore clinical effect of accessory scaphoid bone fusion in treating type Ⅱ painful accessory scaphoid bone.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 26 patients with type Ⅱ painful accessory navicular bone treated by accessory navicular bone fusion from January 2012 to June 2022,including 1 male and 25 females,aged from 18 to 70 years old with an average of(44.61±16.32)years old;10 patients with type Ⅱ A and 16 patients with type Ⅱ B;20 patients with simple fusion and 6 patients with fusion plus calcaneal translocation osteotomy.Changes of Meary angle,Pitch angle,an-teroposterior talar-first metatarsal angle(T1MA),talonavicular coverage angle(TCA),lateral talocalcaneal angle(LTCA)be-fore operation and 6 months after operation were observed and compared,and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society(AOFAS)foot and ankle score and visual analogue scale(VAS)were used to explore clinical effect.Results All 26 patients were followed up for 7 to 24 months with an average of(10.72±3.94)months.Meary angle,Pitch angle,T1MA,TCA and LTCA were improved from(9.20±2.57)°,(16.45±3.57)°,(33.34±5.02)°,(22.42±5.86)°,(48.89±4.43)° before opertaion to(3.33±1.06)°,(22.33±4.56)°,(23.89±3.48)°,(11.83±2.67)°,(36.50±3.50)° at 6 months after operation,the difference were statistically significant(P<0.01).Postoperative AOFAS foot and ankle score were(86.24±4.33)and(93.18±6.02)for type Ⅱ A and type Ⅱ B at 6 months,which were significantly improved compared with those for type Ⅱ A and type Ⅱ B before op-eration(67.34±6.55)and(65.12±9.51),and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01);20 patients got excellent re-sult,5 good and 1 poor.Preoperative VAS of type ⅡA(5.67±1.58)and type Ⅱ B(5.77±1.49)were improved to(2.13±1.01)and(1.43±0.68)at 6 months after operation,with statistical significance(P<0.01).Conclusion Fusion of accessory navicular bone in patients with type Ⅱ painful accessory navicular bone combined with internal calcaneal osteotomy in patients with par-tial calcaneal valvaration could effectively correct flat foot deformity and relieve pain,and could be used as a clinical treatment for painful accessory navicular bone.
6.Lymph node metastasis in the prostatic anterior fat pad and prognosis after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy
Zhou-jie YE ; Yong SONG ; Jin-peng SHAO ; Wen-zheng CHEN ; Guo-qiang YANG ; Qing-shan DU ; Kan LIU ; Jie ZHU ; Bao-jun WANG ; Jiang-ping GAO ; Wei-jun FU
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(3):216-221
Objective:To investigate lymph node metastasis(LNM)in the prostatic anterior fat pad(PAFP)of PCa patients after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy(RARP),and analyze the clinicopathological features and prognosis of LNM in the PAFP.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data on 1 003 cases of PCa treated by RARP in the Department of Urolo-gy of PLA General Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022.All the patients underwent routine removal of the PAFP during RARP and pathological examination,with the results of all the specimens examined and reported by pathologists.Based on the pres-ence and locations of LNM,we grouped the patients for statistical analysis,compared the clinicopathological features between different groups using the Student's t,Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests,and conducted survival analyses using the Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank methods and survival curves generated by Rstudio.Results:Lymph nodes were detected in 77(7.7%)of the 1 003 PAFP samples,and LNM in 11(14.3%)of the 77 cases,with a positive rate of 1.1%(11/1 003).Of the 11 positive cases,9 were found in the upgraded pathological N stage,and the other 2 complicated by pelvic LNM.The patients with postoperative pathological stage≥T3 constituted a significantly higher proportion in the PAFP LNM than in the non-PAFP LNM group(81.8%[9/11]vs 36.2%[359/992],P=0.005),and so did the cases with Gleason score ≥8(87.5%[7/8]vs 35.5%[279/786],P=0.009).No statisti-cally significant differences were observed in the clinicopathological features and biochemical recurrence-free survival between the pa-tients with PAFP LNM only and those with pelvic LNM only.Conclusion:The PAFP is a potential route to LNM,and patients with LNM in the PAFP are characterized by poor pathological features.There is no statistically significant difference in biochemical recur-rence-free survival between the patients with PAFP LNM only and those with pelvic LNM only.Routine removal of the PAFP and inde-pendent pathological examination of the specimen during RARP is of great clinical significance.
7.Progress in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Steroid-Unrespon-sive Pneumonitis Related to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Xiangran FENG ; Yongfeng GAO ; Xiaofei LAN ; Xianwen SUN ; Jun ZHOU ; Jingya ZHAO ; Zhiyao BAO ; Yi XIANG
China Cancer 2025;34(3):244-250
Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis(CIP)is a relatively common immune-related adverse event.The current treatment for CIP mainly relies on glucocorticoids,with 70%~80%of patients being controlled by conventional glucocorticoid therapy.However,steroid-unresponsive CIP is often se-vere and can be life-threatening.There is no standard treatment protocol for steroid-unresponsive CIP,highlighting a significant unmet clinical need.This paper reviews the diagnosis,treatment progress,and exploratory research of steroid-unresponsive CIP to provide evidence-based guidelines and directions for clinical and translational research.
8.Analysis of infection status and drug sensitivity of mycoplasma and chlamydia in 2324 patients
Qiaofang WU ; Zhifeng ZHANG ; Jun BAO ; Yue TAO ; Zhiyu LI
China Modern Doctor 2025;63(16):43-46
Objective To analyze the infection and drug resistance of Ureaplasma urealyticum(UU),Mycoplasma hominis(MH)and Chlamydia trachomatis(CT)in 2324 patients,and to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of nongonococcal infections in urogenital tract.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 2324 patients diagnosed and treated at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital,Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from February 2021 to April 2022.UU and MH were detected by liquid culture method and drug sensitivity tests were carried out,and CT was detected by latex method,and the results were statistically analyzed.Results A total of 1006 positive patients were detected,with a total positive rate of 43.3%.The positive rate in female patients significantly higher than that in male patients(x2=68.888,P<0.001).Among them,the positive detection rates of UU,MH and CT were 40.8%,10.0%and 1.8%respectively.Among patients with single infection,the UU positive detection rate was the highest(31.8%).The positive rate of UU in female patients was significantly higher than that in male patients(x2=70.417,P<0.001).Among patients with mixed infections,the positive detection rate of UU+MH was the highest(8.2%).The age groups with the highest positive rates of UU,MH and CT were 41-50 years old,≤ 20 years old and 21-30 years old respectively.Results of drug sensitivity test showed that mycoplasma were highly sensitive to doxycycline,minocycline and josamycin,with the sensitivity rates of 97.2%,96.9%and 95.4%respectively.Conclusion Young and middle-aged people are the main population with nongonococcal infection in urogenital tract.UU is the main pathogen detected,and the detection rate of female is higher than that of male.According to the drug sensitivity results of mycoplasma,it is suggested to choose doxycycline,minocycline and josamycin for treatment.
9.Effects of Quhan Zhufeng Mixture in Regulating NDRG2/JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway on the Proliferation and Apoptosis of RA-FLS
Xiaojun SU ; Wenju ZHU ; Ying GUO ; Huan WANG ; Qian HE ; Zhiming ZHANG ; Xuemei TIAN ; Haili SHEN ; Jun MA ; Qiang BAO
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(7):119-126
Objective To explore the mechanism of Quhan Zhufeng Mixture on proliferation and apoptosis of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocyte(RA-FLS)based on NDRG2/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.Methods RA-FLS cells were cultured in vitro,and were divided into ① blank serum group,methotrexate group,Quhan Zhufeng Mixture low-,medium-and high-dosage groups;② blank serum group,AG490 group,Quhan Zhufeng Mixture low-,medium-and high-dosage groups.Different concentrations of drug-containing serum were used to intervene cells.Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 method,apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry,and mRNA expressions of Bax,Bcl-2,Caspace-3,Caspace-9,N-myc downstream regulatory gene 2(NDRG2),Janus kinase 2(JAK2)and signal transduction and transcription activator 3(STAT3)were detected by RT-qPCR,Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of Bax,Bcl-2,Caspace-3,Caspace-9,NDRG2,JAK2,STAT3,p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in cells.Results Compared with the blank serum group,cell survival rate in methotrexate group,Quhan Zhufeng Mixture all dosage groups significantly decreased(P<0.01),the apoptosis rate significantly increased(P<0.01),the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax and Caspase-9 significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01),while the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 significantly decreased(P<0.01),and Caspase-3 mRNA and protein expression in methotrexate group and Quhan Zhufeng Mixture medium-and high-dosage groups significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the blank serum group,the mRNA and protein expression of NDRG2 significantly increased in Quhan Zhufeng Mixture all dosage groups(P<0.05,P<0.01),the mRNA and protein expressions of JAK2 and STAT3 were significantly reduced in AG490 group and Quhan Zhufeng Mixture medium-and high-dosage groups(P<0.05,P<0.01),and the expressions of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 proteins were significantly reduced(P<0.01).Conclusion Quhan Zhufeng Mixture can regulate the proliferation and apoptosis of RA-FLS by regulating the activity of NDRG2/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway,playing a role in treating rheumatoid arthritis.
10.The mechanism of GPR120 gene inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in protection of septic lung injury
Kai ZHANG ; Yi-qin HUANG ; Zi-yan ZHANG ; Lin MI ; Na YU ; Zhi-jun BAO
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2025;52(1):44-54
Objective To investigate the role of the GPR120 gene in the progression of sepsis,explore the molecular mechanisms through which GPR120 gene regulates NOD-,LRR-and pyrin domain-containing protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome activation and macrophage polarization.Methods The blood and pleural fluid samples were collected from the sepsis patients and the control group.The expression of inflammatory factors and the associated proteins were detected by flow cytometry and ELISA.C57BL/6 mice and monocyte-macrophage cell line(Raw264.7)were treated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)to construct the sepsis models.After the intervention of GPR120 agonist TUG891,the expression of GPR120 gene,NLRP3 inflammasome protein and macrophage polarization protein were detected between the control group and the sepsis group.Results The expression of inflammatory factors,such as IL-1β in the serum of septic patients,significantly increased compared with the control(P<0.001).And the expression of inflammasome proteins such as NLRP3,Caspase-1 and IL-1β in the pleural fluid also increased(all P<0.05).In vivo,LPS could induce severe inflammation in lung tissue,the GPR120 gene expression decreased in lung tissue,and inflammatory factors were up-regulated in mouse serum(P<0.01).The inflammasome-associated protein and M1 type polarization of macrophages were enhanced,the TUG891 could reduce the inflammatory response,inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome activating,and promote the M2 polarization of macrophages(P<0.01).In vitro,LPS could inhibit the intracellular GPR120 expression.The inflammatory factors secreted more in LPS-induced sepsis cells.TUG891 could promote the up-regulation of GPR120 protein and alleviate the secretion of inflammatory factors(P<0.05).Conclusion In sepsis,GPR120 gene activation could inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome activation,promote macrophage polarization,and reduce the inflammatory damage,thereby delay the rapid progression of sepsis.

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