Lung transplantation is the optimal treatment for end-stage lung diseases and can significantly improve prognosis of the patients. However, postoperative complications such as infection, rejection, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and other challenges (like shortage of donor lungs) , limit the practical application of lung transplantation in clinical practice. Chinese research teams have been making continuous efforts and have achieved breakthroughs in basic research on lung transplantation by integrating emerging technologies and cutting-edge achievements from interdisciplinary fields, which has strongly propelled the development of this field. This article will comprehensively review the academic progress made by Chinese research teams in the field of lung transplantation in 2024, with a focus on the achievements of Chinese teams in basic research on lung transplantation. It aims to provide innovative ideas and strategies for key issues in the basic field of lung transplantation and to help China's lung transplantation cause reach a higher level.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Acute lung injury (ALI) has been a kind of acute and severe disease that is mainly characterized by systemic uncontrolled inflammatory response to the production of huge amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the lung tissue. Given the critical role of ROS in ALI, a Fe₃O₄ loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanocluster (BF) was developed to act as a nanomedicine for the treatment of ALI. Combining with NIR irradiation, it exhibited excellent ROS scavenging capacity. Significantly, it also displayed the excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced macrophages (RAW264.7), and Sprague Dawley rats via lowering intracellular ROS levels, reducing inflammatory factors expression levels, inducing macrophage M2 polarization, inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway, increasing CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T cell ratios, as well as upregulating HSP70 and CD31 expression levels to reprogram redox homeostasis, reduce systemic inflammation, activate immunoregulation, and accelerate lung tissue repair, finally achieving the synergistic enhancement of ALI immunotherapy. It finally provides an effective therapeutic strategy of BF + NIR for the management of inflammation related diseases.

This study investigates the pharmacokinetics and metabolic characteristics of three marine-derived piericidins as potential drug leads for kidney disease: piericidin A (PA) and its two glycosides (GPAs), glucopiericidin A (GPA) and 13-hydroxyglucopiericidin A (13-OH-GPA). The research aims to facilitate lead selection and optimization for developing a viable preclinical candidate. Rapid absorption of PA and GPAs in mice was observed, characterized by short half-lives and low bioavailability. Glycosides and hydroxyl groups significantly enhanced the absorption rate (13-OH-GPA > GPA > PA). PA and GPAs exhibited metabolic instability in liver microsomes due to Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) and uridine diphosphoglucuronosyl transferases (UGTs). Glucuronidation emerged as the primary metabolic pathway, with UGT1A7, UGT1A8, UGT1A9, and UGT1A10 demonstrating high elimination rates (30%-70%) for PA and GPAs. This rapid glucuronidation may contribute to the low bioavailability of GPAs. Despite its low bioavailability (2.69%), 13-OH-GPA showed higher kidney distribution (19.8%) compared to PA (10.0%) and GPA (7.3%), suggesting enhanced biological efficacy in kidney diseases. Modifying the C-13 hydroxyl group appears to be a promising approach to improve bioavailability. In conclusion, this study provides valuable metabolic insights for the development and optimization of marine-derived piericidins as potential drug leads for kidney disease.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Aquatic Organisms/chemistry* ; Biological Availability ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/metabolism* ; Glucuronosyltransferase/metabolism* ; Microsomes, Liver/metabolism* ; Molecular Structure ; Biological Products/pharmacokinetics* ; Pyridines/pharmacokinetics*

Paclitaxel (PTX), a valuable natural product derived from Taxus species, exhibits remarkable anti-cancer properties. It penetrates nanopores in microtubule walls, interacting with tubulin on the lumen surface and disrupting microtubule dynamics, thereby inducing cytotoxic effects in cancer cells. PTX and its derivatives have gained approval for treating various diseases due to their low toxicity, high efficiency, and broad-spectrum application. The widespread success and expanding applications of PTX have led to increased demand, raising concerns about accessibility. Consequently, researchers globally have focused on developing alternative production methods and applying nanocarriers in PTX delivery systems to enhance bioavailability. This review examines the challenges and advancements in PTX sourcing, production, physicochemical properties, anti-cancer mechanisms, clinical applications, trials, and chemo-immunotherapy. It aims to provide a comprehensive reference for the rational development and effective utilization of PTX.
Humans ; Paclitaxel/pharmacology* ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology* ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Animals ; Taxus/chemistry*

Objective:The study aimed to investigate the factors of pregnancy failures in patients with low ser-um anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH)level after in vitro fertilization(IVF)or intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI).Method:The clinical outcome of 1184 cycles in 931 patients with serum AMH＜1.1 ng/ml undergoing IVF/ICSI at the Department of Reproductive Medicine of West China Second Hospital,Sichuan University between January 1,2020 and December 31,2020,was retrospectively studied.In total,503 patients(525 cycles)underwent embryo transfer,including clinical pregnant group in 193 patients(193 cycles)and clinical non-pregnant group in 310 pa-tients(332 cycles).All of the patients were divided into three different groups according to their chronological age(＜35,35-＜40,40-51 years old)and five different serum AMH levels(＜0.06 ng/ml,0.06-＜0.20 ng/ml,0.20-＜0.50 ng/ml,0.50-＜0.80 ng/ml,0.80-＜1.10 ng/ml),to explore the relationship with IVF pregnancy outcomes.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was carried out to explore factors affecting pregnancy out-comes afer IVF/ICSI.Results:①Compared with the clinical pregnancy group,the clinical non-pregnant patients were older,AMH level and antral follicle count(AFC)were lower,the number of MII,2PN,available embryos and top quality embryos were also lower,and endometrial thickness at oocyte pickup(OPU)was thinner,and differ-ences above were statistically significant(P＜0.05).②AMH level,AFC,BMI,total Gn and MII number were signifi-cantly different among different age groups(P＜0.05).The clinical pregnancy rate per transplantation cycle,per oocyte pickup cycle and per ovulation induction cycle also had statistically significant differences(P＜0.001),and the pregnancy rate showed a decreasing trend with the increase of age.③There were significant differences in clinical pregnancy rate per transplantation cycle,per oocyte pickup cycle and per ovulation induction cycle among different ranges of low level AMH(P＜0.05).④Multivariable Logistic regression analysis confirmed that the prob-ability of pregnancy in patients with low AMH level after transfering embryo was significantly affected by patients'age(P=0.002).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve showed that the best cut-off value for predicting clinical pregnancy was 35.5 years,the area under the curve(AUC)was 0.634(95%CI 0.586-0.682,P＜0.001).Conclusions:Patients with low AMH level(＜1.1 ng/ml)still have a good chance of pregnancy after IVF/ICSI treatment,and the most notable influencing factor is the patient's chronological age,rather than AMH.When the actual age of patients is less than 35.5 years,the clinical pregnancy outcome after transferring embryo is better e-ven with low AMH level.

ObjectiveTo construct a macro-evaluation tool for dampness syndrome （DS） animal model， which will provide a basis for experimental research on dampness syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. MethodsConceptual framework of this study was clarified through discussions within the core working group， and dimensions of the evaluation of the animal model of DS were identified according to TCM principles. We searched CNKI， Wanfang， VIP and SinoMed databases from the inception to June 30th， 2023， on experiments involving dampness syndrome animals to create a pool of items about DS animal models. The core items were selected and extracted for factor analysis and cluster analysis. An expert importance rating questionnaire was developed based on the results of the literature review， analyzing the distribution of item scores， importance averages， and coefficient of variation. Through a comprehensive analysis of literature， expert importance scoring， and specific expert opinions， items that did not meet anyone of the criteria of average importance rating ≥2.04， coefficient of variation ≤30%， or literature eva-luation frequency ≥2% were removed， thereafter， the macro-evaluation tool for DS animal model was preliminarily constructed. ResultsSpirit and body state， autonomic activity state， body surface characteristics， diet， urination and defecation， tongue manifestation， and motor behavior assessment were constructed as the seven dimensions in the evaluation of DS animal model. A total of 348 papers about animal experiments were included and analyzed， resulting in a saturated pool of 72 items， which was refined to 38 core items of DS animal models. Factor analysis obtained 16 common factors， which were further clustered into two categories， named dampness transforming from heat syndrome and dampness transforming from cold syndrome. The expert importance scoring showed that the Kendall harmony coefficient was 0.359 （P＜0.05） indicating a high level of agreement， coordination and reliability among the experts. Notably， 50% or more of the experts considered the items thick and greasy tongue coating， unclean perianal area， loose stools， lethargy， unformed stools， and listless expression as very important. The median scores for all items were 2.04（1.73， 2.37）， with a coefficient of variation ranging from 19.73% to 53.38%. After expert evaluation， the macro-evaluation tool for DS animal model in TCM with 33 items and corresponding criteria for assessing the formation of DS models was finally contructed. ConclusionThe Macro-evaluation tool for DS animal model in TCM is highly scientific， credible， and operable， and can be utilized in DS animal experiments after its characteristics are actually evaluated.

Cancer therapy-related thrombopenia,which is called"medicinal poison purpura"in tradi-tional Chinese medicine,is a common hematologic adverse reaction during oncology treatment that is dif-ficult to treat due to the differences in oncology treatments and the complexity of the pathogenesis,resul-ting in various degrees of thrombocytopenia.Based on the theory that"spleen controlling blood",this pa-per believes that"medicinal poison purpura"is mainly caused by direct damage to the blood and qi by medicinal poison,leading to qi and blood deficiency;it also attacks the spleen and stomach,resulting in the deficiency of spleen qi and no source of qi and blood production.Due to the spleen deficiency,there is no essence to nourish kidney and bone marrow;their function of generating blood decreases,eventually it becomes"medicinal poison purpura".The theory of"regulating balance and flat regulation"is an im-portant academic idea of our team in the treatment of malignant hematological tumors.In this paper,we have systematically elaborated on the etiology,pathogenesis,and therapeutic principles of the treatment of cancer therapy-related thrombopenia with spleen deficiency pattern through the collation of relevant lit-erature.We believe that the prescription formulated according to the method of invigorating spleen and benefiting qi and controlling blood for the treatment of cancer therapy-associated thrombocytopenia with spleen deficiency pattern is in line with the principle of correspondence between prescription and syn-drome,and correspondence between drugs and syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine,which is theo-retically feasible and has a high clinical application value.

Objective:The study aimed to investigate the factors of pregnancy failures in patients with low ser-um anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH)level after in vitro fertilization(IVF)or intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI).Method:The clinical outcome of 1184 cycles in 931 patients with serum AMH＜1.1 ng/ml undergoing IVF/ICSI at the Department of Reproductive Medicine of West China Second Hospital,Sichuan University between January 1,2020 and December 31,2020,was retrospectively studied.In total,503 patients(525 cycles)underwent embryo transfer,including clinical pregnant group in 193 patients(193 cycles)and clinical non-pregnant group in 310 pa-tients(332 cycles).All of the patients were divided into three different groups according to their chronological age(＜35,35-＜40,40-51 years old)and five different serum AMH levels(＜0.06 ng/ml,0.06-＜0.20 ng/ml,0.20-＜0.50 ng/ml,0.50-＜0.80 ng/ml,0.80-＜1.10 ng/ml),to explore the relationship with IVF pregnancy outcomes.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was carried out to explore factors affecting pregnancy out-comes afer IVF/ICSI.Results:①Compared with the clinical pregnancy group,the clinical non-pregnant patients were older,AMH level and antral follicle count(AFC)were lower,the number of MII,2PN,available embryos and top quality embryos were also lower,and endometrial thickness at oocyte pickup(OPU)was thinner,and differ-ences above were statistically significant(P＜0.05).②AMH level,AFC,BMI,total Gn and MII number were signifi-cantly different among different age groups(P＜0.05).The clinical pregnancy rate per transplantation cycle,per oocyte pickup cycle and per ovulation induction cycle also had statistically significant differences(P＜0.001),and the pregnancy rate showed a decreasing trend with the increase of age.③There were significant differences in clinical pregnancy rate per transplantation cycle,per oocyte pickup cycle and per ovulation induction cycle among different ranges of low level AMH(P＜0.05).④Multivariable Logistic regression analysis confirmed that the prob-ability of pregnancy in patients with low AMH level after transfering embryo was significantly affected by patients'age(P=0.002).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve showed that the best cut-off value for predicting clinical pregnancy was 35.5 years,the area under the curve(AUC)was 0.634(95%CI 0.586-0.682,P＜0.001).Conclusions:Patients with low AMH level(＜1.1 ng/ml)still have a good chance of pregnancy after IVF/ICSI treatment,and the most notable influencing factor is the patient's chronological age,rather than AMH.When the actual age of patients is less than 35.5 years,the clinical pregnancy outcome after transferring embryo is better e-ven with low AMH level.