1.Shashen Maidong Tang Enhances Efficacy of Chemotherapy in Mouse Model of Lewis Lung Cancer by Modulating JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Lin YU ; Yaoyao WANG ; Limin LIU ; Zuowei HU ; Yanping ZHOU ; Shang WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):1-10
ObjectiveTo predict the mechanism through which Shasheng Maidong Tang enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy for lung cancer via network pharmacology and validate the prediction results in animal experiments. MethodsThe potential mechanism through which Shasheng Maidong Tang enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy for lung cancer was predicted by network pharmacology, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and molecular docking methods. C57/BL6 mice were assigned into normal, model, cisplatin, and Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin groups. In addition to the normal group, the remaining groups were injected subcutaneously with 0.2 mL of 1×107 cells·mL-1 Lewis lung cancer cells to establish the Lewis lung cancer model. The daily gavage dose of Shasheng Maidong Tang was 3.58 g·kg-1, and the concentration of cisplatin intraperitoneally injected on every other day was 2 mg·kg-1. Drugs were administered for 14 d. The changes in the tumor volume and the rate of tumor suppression were monitored, and the tumor histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the interleukin (IL)-6 and interferon (IFN)-γ levels in peripheral blood. Real-time PCR was performed to quantify the mRNA levels of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the tumor tissue of mice. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of JAK2, STAT3, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 (Caspase-3), and Pim-1 proto1 (PIM1) in the tumor tissue. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of Bcl-2 and PIM1 in the tumor tissue. ResultsNetwork pharmacological predictions indicated that Shasheng Maidong Tang might enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy for lung cancer by regulating nitrogen metabolism, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, cancer pathway, and JAK/STAT signaling pathway. The experimental results demonstrated that tumor volume in the cisplatin group and Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group was reduced compared with the model group, with statistically distinct differences observed on days 14, 17, 20 post modeling (P<0.05). Notably, the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin therapy further decreased tumor volume compared with the cisplatin group, showing marked reductions on days 17 and 20 (P<0.05), consistent with trends visualized in tumor volume comparison charts. The Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group exhibited higher tumor inhibition rate than the cisplatin group (P<0.05). Histopathological analysis via HE staining revealed that the tumors in the model group displayed frequent nuclear mitosis, densely arranged cells, hyperchromatic nuclei, and no necrosis. Cisplatin treatment induced partial necrosis and vacuolization, while the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group exhibited extensive necrotic regions, maximal vacuolization, disarranged tumor cells, and minimal mitotic activity. Compared with the model group, the cisplatin group and the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group showed elevated level of IFN-γ (P<0.01) and declined level of IL-6 (P<0.01) in the peripheral blood. Compared with the cisplatin group, the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group presented elevated level of IFN-γ (P<0.01) and lowered level of IL-6 (P<0.01) in the peripheral blood. Compared with the model group, the cisplatin group and the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin groups showed down-regulated mRNA levels of JAK2 and STAT3 (P<0.01) and up-regulated mRNA level STAT1 (P<0.01). Compared with the cisplatin group, the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group presented down-regulated mRNA levels of JAK2 and STAT3 (P<0.01) and up-regulated mRNA level of STAT1 (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the cisplatin group and the Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group showed down-regulated protein levels of JAK2 (P<0.01), Bcl-2 (P<0.01), PIM1 (P<0.01), and STAT3 (P<0.05), and up-regulated protein level of Caspase-3 (P<0.01). Compared with the cisplatin group, Shasheng Maidong Tang+cisplatin group presented down-regulated protein levels of JAK2 (P<0.01), Bcl-2 (P<0.01), PIM1 (P<0.01), STAT3 (P<0.05), and up-regulated protein level of Caspase-3 (P<0.01). The Bcl-2 and PIM1 expression results obtained by immunohistochemistry were consistent with those of Western blot. ConclusionShasheng Maidong Tang may enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy in the mouse model of Lewis lung cancer by regulating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
2.Research on erythrocyte-liposome drug delivery system for targeted therapy of lung metastatic triple-negative breast cancer
Xiang LI ; Xunyi YOU ; Xiaocheng LI ; Hong WANG ; Rui ZHONG ; Jiaxin LIU ; Limin CHEN ; Ye CAO
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(2):180-187
Objective: To prepare the erythrocyte-liposome drug delivery system to enhance the therapeutic effect of drugs on tumors and inhibit tumor metastasis. Methods: This study prepared and characterized paclitaxel (PTX)-plerixafor (AMD3100) liposomes (Lips), developed the erythrocyte-liposome drug delivery system, and evaluated its targeting efficiency and therapeutic efficacy through a series of in vitro cellular and in vivo animal experiments. Results: The particle size of PTX-AMD-Lips was (186.4±0.83) nm. Drug encapsulation efficiency of PTX-AMD-Lips was (75.50±5.27)% for PTX and (88.31±2.45)% for AMD. The Binding efficiency between RBC and liposomes in the drug delivery system was (69.93±2.55)%. Vitro cellular experiments revealed that PTX-AMD-Lips significantly inhibited tumor cell migration. In vivo animal experiments, the erythrocyte-liposome drug delivery system significantly increased drug accumulation in the lungs. At the experimental endpoint, the quantitative fluorescence signal of tumor size measured (4.04±0.44)×10
for the PTX-Lips group, and (5.14±3.40)×10
for the RBC-PTX-AMD-Lips group. Conclusion: The erythrocyte-liposome drug delivery system could enhance the lung-specific targeting capability of liposomes, kill tumor cells and suppress further metastasis effectively.
3.A machine learning-based depression recognition model integrating spirit-expression features from traditional Chinese medicine
Minghui YAO ; Rongrong ZHU ; Peng QIAN ; Huilin LIU ; Xirong SUN ; Limin GAO ; Fufeng LI
Digital Chinese Medicine 2026;9(1):68-79
Objective:
To develop a depression recognition model by integrating the spirit-expression diagnostic framework of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with machine learning algorithms. The proposed model seeks to establish a TCM-informed tool for early depression screening, thereby bridging traditional diagnostic principles with modern computational approaches.
Methods:
The study included patients with depression who visited the Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center from October 1, 2022 to October 1, 2023, as well as students and teachers from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine during the same period as the healthy control group. Videos of 3 – 10 s were captured using a Xiaomi Pad 5, and the TCM spirit and expressions were determined by TCM experts (at least 3 out of 5 experts agreed to determine the category of TCM spirit and expressions). Basic information, facial images, and interview information were collected through a portable TCM intelligent analysis and diagnosis device, and facial diagnosis features were extracted using the Open CV computer vision library technology. Statistical analysis methods such as parametric and non-parametric tests were used to analyze the baseline data, TCM spirit and expression features, and facial diagnosis feature parameters of the two groups, to compare the differences in TCM spirit and expression and facial features. Five machine learning algorithms, including extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), decision tree (DT), Bernoulli naive Bayes (BernoulliNB), support vector machine (SVM), and k-nearest neighbor (KNN) classification, were used to construct a depression recognition model based on the fusion of TCM spirit and expression features. The performance of the model was evaluated using metrics such as accuracy, precision, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). The model results were explained using the Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP).
Results:
A total of 93 depression patients and 87 healthy individuals were ultimately included in this study. There was no statistically significant difference in the baseline characteristics between the two groups (P > 0.05). The differences in the characteristics of the spirit and expressions in TCM and facial features between the two groups were shown as follows. (i) Quantispirit facial analysis revealed that depression patients exhibited significantly reduced facial spirit and luminance compared with healthy controls (P < 0.05), with characteristic features such as sad expressions, facial erythema, and changes in the lip color ranging from erythematous to cyanotic. (ii) Depressed patients exhibited significantly lower values in facial complexion L, lip L, and a values, and gloss index, but higher values in facial complexion a and b, lip b, low gloss index, and matte index (all P < 0.05). (iii) The results of multiple models show that the XGBoost-based depression recognition model, integrating the TCM “spirit-expression” diagnostic framework, achieved an accuracy of 98.61% and significantly outperformed four benchmark algorithms—DT, BernoulliNB, SVM, and KNN (P < 0.01). (iv) The SHAP visualization results show that in the recognition model constructed by the XGBoost algorithm, the complexion b value, categories of facial spirit, high gloss index, low gloss index, categories of facial expression and texture features have significant contribution to the model.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that integrating TCM spirit-expression diagnostic features with machine learning enables the construction of a high-precision depression detection model, offering a novel paradigm for objective depression diagnosis.
4.Exploration on the psychological support mechanism for palliative care patients from the perspective of the interactive ritual chain theory
Limin WU ; Sujuan LIU ; Jingyan ZHANG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2026;39(3):351-357
Based on the interactive ritual chain theory, this paper deeply analyzed the interactive characteristics between doctors, patients, and their families in the palliative care environment, as well as explored the role of emotional resonance, symbolic representation, and situational creation in psychological support. It also sorted out four primary issues currently present in psychological support for palliative care patients, including insufficient recognition of caregivers regarding patients’ psychological needs, limited psychological intervention methods, inadequate psychological support capabilities among medical staff, and an imperfect family and social support system. On this basis, a five-dimensional psychological support mechanism was constructed, encompassing emotional resonance, situational creation, team collaboration, environment building, and technological application. This aimed to provide palliative care patients with comprehensive and continuous psychological intervention by optimizing doctor-patient interaction, strengthening emotional connection, improving physical environment, and utilizing information technology, thereby contributing to alleviating the psychological distress patients confront in the terminal stage and improving their life dignity and quality of life.
5.EZH2 protein expression in predicting malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia: a prospective cohort study
MEI Nianrou ; LIU Limin ; YANG Jingwen ; XU Siming ; LI Chenxi ; GE Shuyun ; ZHOU Haiwen
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2025;33(10):862-872
Objective:
To investigate the predictive value of EZH2 expression for malignant transformation in oral leukoplakia (OLK) and to provide a reference for clinical practice.
Methods:
This study was approved by the institutional ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. A total of 114 patients diagnosed with OLK by pathological examination and treated at our hospital between November 2020 and July 2022 were initially enrolled. After excluding those with incomplete data or follow-up, 105 participants were included in the final analysis, comprising 14 in the high EZH2 expression group and 91 in the low EZH2 expression group. Histopathological examination of oral mucosa and immunohistochemical detection of EZH2 protein expression were performed. The follow-up period was 30 months; participants were followed until malignant transformation occurred or until the end of follow-up, at which point they were withdrawn from the study. The exposure factor was the level of EZH2 protein expression, and the outcome was the malignant transformation rate of OLK. Differences in EZH2 expression levels and transformation outcomes were analyzed.
Results:
There were no statistically significant differences between the high and low EZH2 expression groups in terms of age, sex, history of systemic disease, lifestyle habits, psychological status, diet, and sleep conditions (P > 0.05). Lesions in the high EZH2 expression group were mainly located on the ventral tongue, while in the low EZH2 expression group, they were more commonly found on the dorsal tongue and buccal mucosa. The malignant transformation rate was 28.6% (4/14) in the high expression group and 8.8% (8/91) in the low expression group; these differences were not statistically significant (P=0.053). In univariate Cox regression analysis, the risk of malignant transformation in the high EZH2 expression group was 3.647 times that of the low EZH2 expression group (HR = 3.647, 95% CI: 1.097-12.120, P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that over the 30-month follow-up period, the cancer-free survival rate in the high EZH2 expression group was 19.8% lower than in the low expression group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, only moderate and severe epithelial dysplasia were identified as independent risk factors for malignant transformation. The risk of malignant transformation in the moderate and severe dysplasia groups was 10.695 and 13.623 times higher, respectively, than in the mild dysplasia group (HR = 10.695, 95% CI: 2.270-50.396, P<0.05; HR=13.623, 95% CI: 1.918-96.774, P<0.05). EZH2 high expression was not an independent risk factor in the multivariate model (HR= 2.528, 95% CI: 0.752-8.500, P = 0.134).
Conclusion
High EZH2 protein expression is a risk factor for the malignant transformation of OLK but does not have independent predictive value.
6.Salidroside alleviates PM2.5-induced pulmonary fibrosis through PINK1/Parkin
Ruixi ZHOU ; Wenbo WU ; Limin ZHANG ; Meina WU ; Chen LIU ; Siqi LI ; Xiaohong LI ; Mengxiao LUAN ; Qin WANG ; Li YU ; Yumei LIU ; Wanwei LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(10):1240-1246
Background Existing studies have confirmed that fine particulate matter (PM2.5)is one of the important factors inducing pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is the terminal stage of a major category of lung diseases characterized by the destruction of tissue structure, and eventually leading lung ventilation and ventilation dysfunction. No effective pulmonary fibrosis treatment is available yet. Objective To investigate the protective effect of salidroside on pulmonary fibrosis induced by the exposure of PM2.5 and its molecular mechanism. Methods Seventy 7-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group (intratracheal instillation of normal saline + saline by gavage, n=25), Sal group (intratracheal instillation of normal saline + Sal 60 mg·kg−1 by gavage, n=10), PM2.5 group (intratracheal instillation of PM2.5 5 mg·kg−1 + saline by gavage, n=10), and Sal + PM2.5 group (intratracheal instillation of PM2.5 5 mg·kg−1 +Sal 60 mg·kg−1 by gavage, n=10). The mice were administered by gavage once daily, intratracheal instillation once every 3 d, and every 3 d constituted an experimental cycle. At the end of the 26-30th cycles, 3 mice in the control group and 3 mice in the PM2.5 group were randomly sacrificed, and the lung tissues were collected for Masson staining to verify whether the pulmonary fibrosis model was successfully established. After 30 cycles, the model was successfully constructed. After 1 week of continuous observation, the mice were sacrificed, and the blood and lung tissues of the mice were collected to make lung tissue sections. Assay kits were correspondingly employed to detect oxidative stress indicators such as serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Western blotting was used to detect the expression of fibrosis-related proteins (Collagen-III, α-SMA), mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins (MFN1, Drp1), and mitophagy-related proteins (PINK1, Parkin, and LC3). Results Compared with the control group, the weight gain rate of the PM2.5 group was slowed down (P<0.05), which was alleviated by the Sal intervention (P<0.05). The lung coefficient increased after the PM2.5 exposure (P<0.05), which was alleviated by Sal intervention. Compared with the control group, the PM2.5 group showed severe alveolar structure damage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and blue collagen deposition, and significantly increased the lung injury score, collagen volume fraction (CVF), Szapiel score, and Ashcroft score (P<0.05), as well as serum oxidative stress levels (P<0.05). The protein expression levels of Collagen-III, α-SMA, Drp1, PINK1, Parkin, and LC3 II/I were increased (P<0.05), and the expression of MFN1 was decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the PM2.5 group, the Sal intervention alleviated lung injury, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition, showing decreased lung injury score, CVF, Szapiel score, and Ashcroft score (P<0.05), and decreased serum oxidative stress levels (P<0.05); the protein expression levels of Collagen-III, α-SMA, PINK1, Parkin, and LC3 II/I were decreased (P<0.05), the expression level of Drp1 was decreased, and the expression level of MFN1 was increased. Conclusion In the process of pulmonary fibrosis induced by PM2.5 exposure in mice, Sal may affect mitochondrial autophagy through PINK1/Parkin pathway and play a protective role. The specific mechanism needs to be further verified.
7.Value of preoperative ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of lymph nodes combined with washout thyroglobulin testing in diagnosing lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma
Xuezhou SHEN ; Limin CHEN ; Jun HE ; Gang LIU ; Yanbao XIANG ; Xiaoping HUANG
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy 2025;32(3):342-346
Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of preoperative fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of lymph nodes combined with washout thyroglobulin testing (FNA-Tg) for detecting lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).Methods:A prospective study was conducted on 112 patients diagnosed with PTC at Wenzhou Central Hospital from December 2021 to December 2023, all of whom had suspicious lateral cervical lymph node metastasis identified through preoperative ultrasound. All patients underwent lymph node FNA and FNA-Tg. The suspicious lymph nodes were surgically excised. The diagnostic efficacy of FNA, FNA-Tg, and the combination of FNA and FNA-Tg for PTC with lymph node metastasis was compared.Results:A total of 112 patients were identified with 120 lymph nodes, among which 98 lymph nodes were confirmed to have metastasis by pathology. The results of the FNA cytology examination revealed 83 positive cases and 37 negative cases. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for diagnosing lateral cervical lymph node metastasis were 80.83%, 80.61%, and 81.82%, respectively. In the FNA-Tg, there were 89 positive cases and 31 negative cases, with accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for diagnosing lateral cervical lymph node metastasis at 89.17%, 88.78%, and 90.91%, respectively. When FNA and FNA-Tg were used in combination, there were 101 positive cases and 19 negative cases; the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for diagnosing lateral cervical lymph node metastasis were 94.17%, 97.96%, and 77.27%, respectively. The combined use of FNA and FNA-Tg demonstrated significantly higher accuracy in diagnosing metastatic lateral cervical lymph nodes in PTC compared to FNA and FNA-Tg alone ( χ2 = 50.64, P < 0.001; χ2 = 64.81, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The combined use of FNA and FNA-Tg demonstrates high accuracy in diagnosing lateral cervical lymph node metastasis in PTC.
8.Integrative approaches and clinical implications of harnessing multimodal digital technologies in early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
Wenyuan ZHAO ; Limin LIU ; Hongming LIU ; Jiayuan CHEN ; Jing XIONG
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(6):565-571
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that seriously affects the health of the elderly, and the early diagnosis is crucial to slow down the progression of the disease. This review systematically examines the integrative applications of multimodal digital technologies in early AD identification, encompassing cognitive assessment, neuroimaging analysis, biomarker detection, and polygenic risk prediction, with the goal of enhancing diagnostic accuracy and operational efficiency. It was found that artificial intelligence-driven digital tools significantly improved screening efficiency by capturing subtle behavioral patterns and physiological signatures. Machine learning algorithms integrated with multimodal neuroimaging data optimize sensitivity in detecting structural brain abnormalities, while combinatorial analysis of digital biomarkers enables high-precision staging of AD pathology. Recent advancements highlight the critical role of digital technologies in facilitating multimodal biomarker integration and streamlining diagnostic workflows. The convergence of these innovative approaches provides a robust framework for early AD screening, offering patients accessible and efficient diagnostic pathways.
9.Application of imaging examinations in the evaluation of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy
Xiaowei GAO ; Yandong LIU ; Limin LIU
Recent Advances in Ophthalmology 2025;45(4):321-325
Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy(TAO) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease closely related to hy-perthyroidism,but it may also be detected in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis patients with normal thyroid functions or hy-pothyroidism.The clinical manifestations of TAO are diverse,and the progression of the disease varies.Therefore,accu-rately assessing its activity and the extent of lesions is crucial for guiding clinical treatment.Imaging examinations play an important role in the clinical diagnosis and evaluation of TAO.Commonly used methods include computed tomography(CT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).In this article,the current applications of CT and MRI to the evaluation of TAO were reviewed,aiming to assist clinicians in selecting appropriate imaging modalities for accurate disease staging and formulating more rational treatment strategies.
10.Correlation between CT fibrosis score and pulmonary function in artificial stone-associated silicosis
Li LIU ; Limin HUANG ; Hongxia TIAN ; Ling MAO
Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases 2025;43(11):801-806
Objective:To explore the method of CT quantitative evaluation of silicosis fibrosis in artificial stone and analyze its correlation with the stage of chest X-ray and lung function impairment.Methods:The clinical data of 142 patients with artificial stone silicosis who were treated at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 were collected. These patients were diagnosed based on GBZ 70-2015 Diagnosis of Occupational Pneumoconiosis and underwent chest X-rays, chest CT scans, and lung function tests within a two-month period. The chest CT scoring method is based on the CT characteristics of silicosis, including ground-glass shadows, small nodule shadows, point-line shadows/cord-line shadows, emphysema/pulmonary bullae and patch shadows/mass shadows, with a scoring range of 0 to 25 points. Lung function indicators included FVC, FEV 1 and DLco. For inter-group comparisons of normally distributed quantitative data, one-way ANOVA was employed with LSD post-hoc test for multiple comparisons. Chi-square test was used for multi-group ratio comparisons. Kruskal-Wallis H test was applied to non-normally distributed quantitative data, followed by LSD post-hoc test. Spearman's rank correlation was used to analyze the relationship between pulmonary function indicators and CT fibrosis scores, Trend test was conducted using the Pearson test. Results:As the silicosis stage progressed, both the CT fibrosis score ( R=0.87, Ptrend<0.001) and the degree of lung function impairment (FVC: R=-0.41, Ptrend<0.001; FEV 1: R=-0.52, Ptrend<0.001) ; DLco: R=-0.38, Ptrend<0.001) showed an increasing trend. The CT fibrosis Score demonstrated a strong positive correlation with silicosis stage ( rs=0.85, Ptrend<0.001) and a moderate negative correlation with FVC, FEV 1, and DLco ( rs=-0.48, -0.56, and -0.45, respectively, with all P<0.05) . Over an average follow-up period of 14 months, it was observed that changes in the CT score had a strong to moderate negative correlation with variations in FVC and FEV 1 ( rs=-0.63 and -0.52, P<0.05) . Additionally, there was a moderate negative correlation between ground glass opacity and DLco ( rs=-0.52, P<0.001) . Conclusion:The CT fibrosis score not only reflects pathological changes associated with artificial stone-related silicosis but also provides a more precise representation of lung function injury.


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