1.Dingchan Granule (定颤颗粒) for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation with Syndrome of Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis:A Randomized,Double-Blinded,Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Xiaozhen CHENG ; Xingjuan CHEN ; Weina LI ; Lu XIAO ; Yunhan WANG ; Yun XU ; Yueyue NIU ; Ling FENG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(12):1233-1240
ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effectiveness and safety of Dingchan Granule (定颤颗粒) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with syndrome of qi stagnation and blood stasis. MethodsUsing a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled study method, 90 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome were divided into 45 cases each in the treatment group and the control group. Both groups were given conventional western medicine treatment, and the treatment group was additionally treated with Dingchan Granule, while the control group was treated with Dingchan Granule placebo, both of which were taken orally for 8 g each time twice a day. Both groups were treated for 8 weeks. We compared the clinical effectiveness, the improvement of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptoms and the recovery rate of atrial fibrillation between the two groups. We compared the number and duration of atrial fibrillation episodes, TCM symptoms score, atrial fibrillation symptom classification, 24-hour average ventricular rate, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), anxiety index, depression index before and after treatment, and evaluated the safety of the two groups. ResultsThe total clinical effectiveness rate in the treatment group was 82.22% (37/45), which was better than 60.00% (27/45) in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of TCM syndrome effectiveness in the treatment group was 88.89% (40/45), which was better than 66.67% (30/45) in the control group (P<0.05); and the rate of atrial fibrillation regression in the treatment group was 26.67% (12/45), better than 6.67% (3/45) in the control group (P<0.05). The number and duration of atrial fibrillation episodes in both groups were significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the number and duration of atrial fibrillation episodes in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). The TCM syndrome scores of both groups after treatment were significantly lower than before treatment (P<0.01), and the scores of the treatment group was lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). The severity of atrial fibrillation symptoms and the grading of atrial fibrillation symptoms in both groups after treatment were improved (P<0.01), and the degree of symptom improvement in the treatment group was better than that in the control group (P<0.01). The 24-hour average ventricular rate of both groups after treatment was significantly lower (P<0.01). The PSQI, anxiety index and depression index of the treatment group were all lower than before treatment (P<0.01), while the PSQI and anxiety index of the control group were both lower than before treatment (P<0.01 or P<0.05), the PSQI, anxiety index and depression index of the treatment group being lower than those of the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). No adverse events occurred in both groups, and no abnormalities were observed in blood, urine, stool routine, liver and kidney function, and coagulation function indexes. ConclusionDingchan Granule for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome can alleviate clinical symptom, improve TCM symptom scores, increase atrial fibrillation recovery rate, stabilise the average ventricular rate, and significantly improve the quality of sleep, alleviate the anxiety and depression, with a good safety profile.
2.Validating the pathogenic mechanism of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease induced by negative emotions via Mendelian randomization and traditional Chinese medicine theory of emotions
Zhiying WANG ; Yun LI ; Zhixian ZHONG ; Ling XU ; Yi ZHONG ; Jian CHEN
Digital Chinese Medicine 2025;8(2):196-205
Objective:
We employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to test the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory of emotional pathogenesis concept and explore the causal relationship between negative emotions and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Methods:
Data of negative emotions, bronchitis, emphysema, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were downloaded from genome-wide association study (GWAS) public database for a two-sample MR analysis. Independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with negative emotions, bronchitis, and emphysema were selected as instrumental variables. Primary causal estimates were derived using inverse-variance weighting (IVW), supplemented by weighted median (WM), and simple mode (SM) methods. Sensitivity analyses included MR-Egger regression and MR-PRESSO to assess pleiotropy, Cochran’s Q test for heterogeneity, and multivariate MR to adjust for smoking. Mediation analysis evaluated the role of inflammatory markers. Reverse MR was tested for bidirectional causality. Weak instrument bias was mitigated via F-statistic thresholds (> 10). All analyses were conducted in RStudio.
Results:
MR analysis identified significant causal effects of several negative emotions on COPD. Genetically, the IVW analysis of seen doctors for nerves anxiety tension or depression [ORIVW = 1.006, 95% CI = (1.002, 1.010), P = 0.002], sensitivity/hurt feelings [ORIVW = 1.024, 95% CI = (1.004, 1.044), P = 0.017], and irritability [ORIVW = 1.019, 95% CI = (1.003, 1.035), P = 0.019 were robustly associated with increased risks of COPD. No heterogeneity was detected among the different instrumental variables (IVs) for depression (P = 0.655) and irritability (P = 0.163). MR-Egger regression intercepts for all emotional exposures were close to zero and statistically non-significant, indicating no evidence of directional pleiotropy. The horizontal pleiotropy results showed that except for worry (MR-PRESSO P = 0.006), other emotion exposures confirming no substantial pleiotropic bias. Multivariable MR demonstrated that anxiety remained independently associated with COPD after adjusting for smoking (P = 0.002), while associations with other negative emotions were attenuated post-adjustment. The mediation analysis revealed that CRP mediated 3.93% of the total effect of anxiety on COPD. However, reverse MR analysis found no evidence of reverse causality.
Conclusion
This study confirmed the causal effects of negative emotions on COPD through MR analysis and revealed that negative emotions may trigger CRP production, which plays an essential mediating role in this relationship. This study provides a reliable modern theoretical basis for emotion theory in TCM.
3.Analysis of T7 RNA Polymerase: From Structure-function Relationship to dsRNA Challenge and Biotechnological Applications
Wei-Chen NING ; Yu HUA ; Hui-Ling YOU ; Qiu-Shi LI ; Yao WU ; Yun-Long LIU ; Zhen-Xin HU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2280-2294
T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP) is one of the simplest known RNA polymerases. Its unique structural features make it a critical model for studying the mechanisms of RNA synthesis. This review systematically examines the static crystal structure of T7 RNAP, beginning with an in-depth examination of its characteristic “thumb”, “palm”, and “finger” domains, which form the classic “right-hand-like” architecture. By detailing these structural elements, this review establishes a foundation for understanding the overall organization of T7 RNAP. This review systematically maps the functional roles of secondary structural elements and their subdomains in transcriptional catalysis, progressively elucidating the fundamental relationships between structure and function. Further, the intrinsic flexibility of T7 RNAP and its applications in research are also discussed. Additionally, the review presents the structural diagrams of the enzyme at different stages of the transcription process, and through these diagrams, it provides a detailed description of the complete transcription process of T7 RNAP. By integrating structural dynamics and kinetics analyses, the review constructs a comprehensive framework that bridges static structure to dynamic processes. Despite its advantages, T7 RNAP has a notable limitation: it generates double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as a byproduct. The presence of dsRNA not only compromises the purity of mRNA products but also elicits nonspecific immune responses, which pose significant challenges for biotechnological and therapeutic applications. The review provides a detailed exploration of the mechanisms underlying dsRNA formation during T7 RNAP catalysis, reviews current strategies to mitigate this issue, and highlights recent progress in the field. A key focus is the semi-rational design of T7 RNAP mutants engineered to minimize dsRNA generation and enhance catalytic performance. Beyond its role in transcription, T7 RNAP exhibits rapid development and extensive application in fields, including gene editing, biosensing, and mRNA vaccines. This review systematically examines the structure-function relationships of T7 RNAP, elucidates the mechanisms of dsRNA formation, and discusses engineering strategies to optimize its performance. It further explores the engineering optimization and functional expansion of T7 RNAP. Furthermore, this review also addresses the pressing issues that currently need resolution, discusses the major challenges in the practical application of T7 RNAP, and provides an outlook on potential future research directions. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of T7 RNAP, ranging from its structural architecture to cutting-edge applications. We systematically examine: (1) the characteristic right-hand domains (thumb, palm, fingers) that define its minimalistic structure; (2) the structure-function relationships underlying transcriptional catalysis; and (3) the dynamic transitions during the complete transcription cycle. While highlighting T7 RNAP’s versatility in gene editing, biosensing, and mRNA vaccine production, we critically address its major limitation—dsRNA byproduct formation—and evaluate engineering solutions including semi-rationally designed mutants. By synthesizing current knowledge and identifying key challenges, this work aims to provide novel insights for the development and application of T7 RNAP and to foster further thought and progress in related fields.
4.Effects of Hedysarum polysaccharide on FXR-SHP-SREBP-1c signaling pathway in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease cell model
Lei ZHANG ; Zhi-Sheng JIN ; Xiao-Yi YANG ; Jia-Wei LI ; Ya-Ling LI ; Cai-Yun JIN ; Yan-Xu CHEN
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(2):200-204
Objective To study the effect of Hedysarum polysaccharides(HPS)on the farnisol X receptor(FXR)-small heterodimer chaperone(SHP)-sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 c(SREBP-1c)signaling pathway in the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease cell model.Methods The cells were cultured with 1.2 mmol·L-1 fatty acids to construct the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease cell model.The cell were divided into normal group(complete medium),model group(1.2 mmol·L-1 fatty acid solution),positive control group(1.2 mmol·L-1 fatty acid solution+50 μmol·L-1 alpha-lipoic acid)and experimental group(1.2 mmol·L-1 fatty acid solution+80 mg·L-1 HPS),culture for 24 h.The content of triglyceride(TG)and total cholesterol(TC),the activity of glutamate transaminase(GOT)and glutamate transaminasewas(GPT)detected by GPO-PAP enzyme method;the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry;the expressions of FXR,SHP,SREBP-1c protein and mRNA in hepatocytes were detected by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results The contents of TG in hepatocytes of normal group,model group,positve control group and experimental group were(2.91±1.13),(6.81±1.32),(3.72±0.52)and(4.67±0.62)mmol·gprot-1;the contents of TC in these four groups were(23.66±4.92),(67.96±5.56),(29.41±4.22)and(54.34±3.96)mmol·gprot-1;the activity of GOT in these four groups were(249.10±11.59),(322.63±28.81),(288.89±19.14)and(266.91±8.77)U·gprot-1;the activity of GPT in these four groups were(58.83±16.88),(134.55±22.96),(89.63±15.81)and(77.37±7.25)U·gprot-1,respectively;FXR mRNA expression levels were 1.01±0.16,2.09±0.12,1.83±0.17 and 1.45±0.15,respectively;SHP mRNA expression levels were 1.00±0.11,0.51±0.15,0.64±0.14 and 0.70±0.14,respectively;SREBP-1c mRNA were 1.00±0.08,1.57±0.19,1.37±0.13 and 1.21±0.15;the expression levels of FXR protein were 1.00±0.02,1.63±0.03,1.42±0.02 and 1.25±0.03,respectively;the expression levels of SHP protein were 1.00±0.02,0.23±0.01,0.54±0.21 and 0.62±0.02;the expression levels of SREBP-1c protein were 1.00±0.03,4.08±0.05,1.99±0.02 and 1.48±0.01,respectively.Compared with the normal group,there were significant differences in the above indexes of model group(all P<0.05);compared with the model group,there were significant differences in the above indexes of experimental group(all P<0.05).Conclusion HPS may protect liver cells by regulating the FXR-SHP-SREBP-1 c signaling pathway,reducing lipid synthesis in liver cells.
5.Discussion of the methodology and implementation steps for assessing the causality of adverse event
Hong FANG ; Shuo-Peng JIA ; Hai-Xue WANG ; Xiao-Jing PEI ; Min LIU ; An-Qi YU ; Ling-Yun ZHOU ; Fang-Fang SHI ; Shu-Jie LU ; Shu-Hang WANG ; Yue YU ; Dan-Dan CUI ; Yu TANG ; Ning LI ; Ze-Huai WEN
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(2):299-304
The assessment of adverse drug events is an important basis for clinical safety evaluation and post-marketing risk control of drugs,and its causality assessment is gaining increasing attention.The existing methods for assessing the causal relationship between drugs and the occurrence of adverse reactions can be broadly classified into three categories:global introspective methods,standardized methods,and probabilistic methods.At present,there is no systematic introduction of the operational details of the various methods in the domestic literature.This paper compares representative causality assessment methods in terms of definition and concept,methodological steps,industry evaluation and advantages and disadvantages,clarifies the basic process of determining the causality of adverse drug reactions,and discusses how to further improve the adverse drug reaction monitoring and evaluation system,with a view to providing a reference for drug development and pharmacovigilance work in China.
6.Inhibition of proliferation,migration and invasion of renal carcinoma cells by targeting ARL4C with panobinostat
Zhi-Yun YANG ; Xue-Li WANG ; Xiu-Ling TIAN
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(11):1569-1572
Objective To explore the effects of panobinostat on the proliferation,migration and invasion of renal carcinoma cells via targeting ADP ribosylated factor-like protein 4C(ARL4C).Methods According to different treatments,human renal carinoma 786-O cells were divided into blank group(phosphate buffer treatment),experimental group(50 nmol·L-1 panobinostat treatment),empty vector group(transfection with empty vector and no treatment),overexpression group(transfection with ARL4C overexpression vector and no treatment)and combined group(transfection with ARL4C overexpression vector and 50 nmol·L-1 panobinostat treatment).The proliferation,migration and invasion of cells were detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay and scratch assay.Cholesterol transport levels in cells were detected by enzyme-labeled assay.The mRNA and protein levels of ARL4C in cells were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.Results The indicators of cell proliferation in blank group,experimental group,empty vector group,overexpression group and combined group were(100.00±0)%,(61.08±5.82)%,(101.22±5.92)%,(121.94±6.63)%and(101.78±6.87)%;the indicators of cell migration were(44.59±2.49)%,(29.02±2.09)%,(42.75±2.42)%,(54.19±3.05)%and(41.91±2.75)%;the indicators of cell invasion were 264.50±6.52,182.70±5.83,257.80±7.91,322.40±8.27 and 266.80±8.15;the intracellular levels of cholesterol were(72.48±6.21),(36.48±3.44),(73.89±5.91),(89.21±8.89)and(73.06±6.92)mmol·L-1;the relative expression levels of ARL4C mRNA were 1.23±0.22,0.24±0.08,1.27±0.25,1.67±0.38 and 1.27±0.25;the relative expression levels of ARL4C protein were 1.06±0.03,0.17±0.04,1.03±0.05,1.37±0.18 and 1.05±0.08,respectively.Between the blank group and experimental group,the above indicators have statistically significant differences(all P<0.05);compared with the blank group and empty vector group,the above indicators in overexpression group have statistically significant differences(all P<0.05).Conclusion Panobinostat downregulate the intracellular levels of cholesterol by reducing the expression level of ARL4C in 786-O cells,thus inhibiting the proliferation,migration and invasion of renal carcinoma cells.
7.Impacts of gut microbiota on metabolism and efficacy of timosaponin A-III
Wen-jin HUANG ; Ling-yun PAN ; Xin-xin GAO ; Wei-ze ZHU ; Hou-kai LI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(8):2372-2380
Intraperitoneal administration of timosaponin A-III (TA-III) has therapeutic effects on high-fat diet-induced metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), but oral administration has no effect. This suggests that gut microbiota may affect the oral bioavailability of TA-III. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is an inflammatory subtype of MASLD. To investigate the therapeutic effect of different administration modes of TA-III on MASH and its relationship with gut microbiota metabolism. In this study, a MASH mouse model was induced by choline-deficient,
8.A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of the Current Status and Trends of Foren-sic Mixed Stain Research
Qing-Wei FAN ; Ling LI ; Hui-Ling YANG ; Ting-Ting DENG ; Dong-Dong XU ; Yun WANG ; Bing DU ; Jiang-Wei YAN
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2024;40(1):20-29
Objective To explore the context and hotspot changes of forensic mixed stain research through bibliometric approach.Methods The literature of forensic mixed stain included in the core col-lection of Web of Science database from 2011 to 2022 were collected as the study object,and the an-nual publication number,countrie(region),institution,journal,keywords,etc.were bibliometrically and visually analyzed using the R-based Bibliometrix 1.1.6 package and VOSviewer 1.6.18 software.Re-sults A total of 732 articles on forensic mixed stain were included from 2011 to 2022,with the an-nual number of articles published and the annual citation frequency showing a steady increase year by year.Among the 59 countries(regions)with the most published articles,the United States ranked first with 246 articles,followed by China with 153 articles.The literature came from 104 journals,and the total number of articles published in the top 10 journals was 633.FORENSIC SCI INT GENET ranked first with 307 articles.Visual analysis using VOSviewer software showed that keywords could be divided into four research clusters,namely the genetic marker development group(blue),the mixed stain typing analysis theory group(red),the sequencing analysis group(yellow),and the case sample research group(green).It can be divided into four development stages in terms of different time peri-ods:early development(2011-2013),middle development(2014-2016),rapid development(2017-2020)and latest development(2021-2022).Conclusion The number of publications by domestic and foreign scholars in the study of mixed stain in forensic science is showing a relatively stable trend.Machine learning,next generation sequencing and other research have been the hottest topics that have attracted the most attention in recent years,which is expected to further develop the theory of mixed stain typing and sequencing analysis in forensic mixed stain research.
9.Nucleophosmin acetylation and construction and expression of its modified sites mutants in breast cancer
Jing-Wei HAO ; Ting PAN ; Yue LI ; Wen-Bin ZHU ; Wen-Bo DUAN ; Li-Kun LIU ; Li-Ling YUE ; Yun-Long LIU ; Xiu-Li GAO
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2024;55(2):196-202
Objective To determine the acetylation level of nucleophosmin(NPM)in female breast cancer and to discuss its function through mutation of modified lysine sites.To construct positive and negative NPM mutants on its acetylated lysine sites and to express them in breast cancer cells.Methods Acetylation level and acetylated lysine sites of NPM in three breast cancer tissues and para-carcinoma tissues were detected by acetylome technology;NPM mutants were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis PCR,specific PCR products were digested by DpnI and transformed into Escherichia coli(E.coli)to obtain specific plasmids for mutants;The accuracy of mutants were verified by double restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing;The mutants were expressed in BT-549 cells by transient transfection and verified by RT-PCR method.Protein expression and acetylation level of NPM were validated by Western blotting;Function of NPM acetylation was analyzed by proteomic detection and bioinformatic analysis.Results The 27th and 32nd lysine of NPM were highly acetylated in breast cancer tissues,which were 2.76 and 2.22 times higher than those in adjacent normal tissues,respectively;The NPM mutants showed the same molecular weight as that of wild type NPM and contained expected mutation sites;Corresponding NPM mRNA levels of BT-549 cells transfected with NPM mutants were significantly increased.With the increase of wild type NPM expression level,NPM acetylation level increased,while decreased after 27th lysine underwent negative mutation.NPM acetylation can significantly change the expression levels of 101 proteins in BT-549 cells,which are enriched in regulation of cellular macromolecule biosynthesis,DNA-template transcription,RNA biosynthesis and RNA metabolism process.Conclusion NPM is highly acetylated in breast cancer and can play a key role in cellular macromolecule biosynthesis,DNA-templated transcription,RNA biosynthesis and RNA metabolism process.
10.Exploration of the Disease Mechanism and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Based on the "One Qi Circulation"
Zhiying WANG ; Ling XU ; Jialin YAO ; Jiajun SONG ; Yun LI ; Shujuan FU ; Yabin GONG ; Yi ZHONG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(10):1068-1071
Based on the theory of "one qi circulation" founded by HUANG Yuanyu, the core disease mechanism of colorectal cancer is the innate spleen deficiency and stomach qi failing to bear downward, which leads to the turbidity assemble in large intestine, forming the carcinoma toxin, and ultimately transforms into colorectal cancer. The treatment should base on recovering the circulation of qi, Huangya Decoction (黄芽汤) as the basic formula, the circulation of qi ascending and descending as the base, adjusting ascending and descending together with Xiaqi Decoction (下气汤), and differentiating the syndrome on yin-yang excess-deficiency; for spleen-kidney yang deficiency syndrome, treated with Tianhun Decoction (天魂汤) to supplement liver, kidney and assist yang; for liver-kidney yin deficiency syndrome, treated wtih Dipo Decoction (地魄汤) to supplement lung, kidney, and assist yang. They jointly prompt one qi circulation to provide the thoughts for the treatment of colorectal cancer by traditional Chinese medicine.

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