1.Mechanism of Rehmannia glutinosa-medicated serum regulating BV2 microglia polarization to interfere with neuroinflammation
Ping TIAN ; Hongzhi AN ; Qian FEI ; Ruifeng LIANG ; Dan YANG ; Xuexia ZHANG ; Wenjing GE ; Yifei LIU ; Hongwei LI ; Deen HAN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(15):1979-1985
OBJECTIVE To study the mechanism of action of Rehmannia glutinosa-medicated serum (RG) in regulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced polarization of BV2 microglia to interfere with neuroinflammation. METHODS An in vitro neuroinflammation model of BV2 cells induced by LPS was established. Cells were divided into control group, LPS group, 10%RG group, 20%RG group, BAY 11-7082 [nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) inhibitor] group, and 20%RG+BAY 11-7082 group. Except for the control group, cells in all other groups were pretreated with corresponding drugs for 12 h and then stimulated with LPS for 24 h. The morphology of cells in each group was observed, and the fluorescence intensity of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), CD206, the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, iNOS, IL-4, IL-10, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), arginase-1 (Arg-1), and the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/NF-κB/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway-related protein expression were detected. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the LPS group showed significant changes in cell morphology, exhibiting a typical M1 activated morphology. The fluorescence intensity of Iba-1 and iNOS, the relative expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS mRNA, the relative expression levels of TLR4, NLRP3, caspase-1 p20, IL-1β p17 protein, and the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B α were significantly increased (P<0.05). The fluorescence intensity of CD206 and the relative expression levels of IL-4, IL-10, TGF-β, and Arg-1 mRNA were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Compared with the LPS group, the changes in the above indicators in the cells of the 10%RG group, 20%RG group, BAY 11-7082 group, and 20%RG+BAY 11-7082 group were significantly reversed (P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference in the comparison of the last three groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS RG can effectively inhibit the overall activation of microglia and correct their M1/M2 polarization imbalance, and its mechanism may be closely related to the inhibition of excessive activation of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.
2.Multimodal Assessment of a Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension Mouse Model
Hongzhi DU ; Jin FAN ; Xiaolu WEI ; Lianmei WANG ; Yan LIU ; Weiya CHEN ; Tengfei CHEN ; Yunhang GAO ; Ling SONG ; Guangping ZHANG ; Hongping HOU
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2026;46(4):476-486
ObjectiveTo establish a mouse model of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) through intermittent hypoxia induction, and to develop a comprehensive and reliable evaluation system for the HPH model, thereby providing experimental evidence for mechanistic studies and translational applications related to this disease. MethodsTwenty-four male specific pathogen-free (SPF) BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a control group and a model group, with 12 mice per group. Mice in the model group were placed in a hypobaric oxygen chamber control system to establish the HPH model, whereas mice in the control group received no intervention. After 28 days of modeling, a comprehensive evaluation of the pathophysiological characteristics of both groups was performed using a general condition scoring scale, echocardiography, hemodynamic measurements, blood gas analysis, hematological tests, organ coefficient determination, histopathological examination, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, correlation analyses were conducted among echocardiographic parameters, the contents of endothelin‑1 (ET‑1) and N‑terminal pro‑B‑type natriuretic peptide (NT‑proBNP) in lung tissue, and other measured indices. ResultsWith prolonged modeling duration time, body weight, water intake, and activity level of mice in the model group were significantly decreased compared with the control group (P<0.05). Echocardiography showed that, compared with the control group, the model group exhibited increased right ventricular dimensions (P<0.01), right ventricular anterior wall thickening (P<0.01), and widened main pulmonary artery diameter (P<0.01), whereas the peak systolic velocity across the pulmonary valve, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, and peak systolic velocity of the tricuspid annulus were significantly decreased (P<0.001); tricuspid regurgitation was observed in some model animals. Hemodynamic results revealed that right ventricular systolic pressure was elevated in the model group compared with the control group (P<0.001). Blood gas analysis showed that pH, partial pressure of oxygen, oxygen saturation, actual bicarbonate, and total carbon dioxide were all decreased in the model group compared with the control group (P<0.01). Hematological indices demonstrated that lymphocyte counts (P<0.05) and reticulocyte counts (P<0.001) were decreased in the model group compared with the control group. Compared with the control group, the organ coefficients of heart and lung in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.05 and P<0.001). Pathological examination revealed that the right ventricular hypertrophy index was significantly increased in the model group (P<0.001), with varying degrees of damage to the right ventricle, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary vessels; both the pulmonary artery wall thickness percentage and the pulmonary wall area percentage were significantly elevated (P<0.001). ELISA results showed that the levels of ET‑1 and NT‑proBNP in lung tissues were significantly increased in the model group compared with the control group (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively). Correlation analysis indicated that some echocardiographic parameters were highly correlated with multiple indices in the development of HPH (P<0.05). ConclusionEchocardiography can accurately assess a series of hemodynamic changes in HPH, including right ventricular structural, functional impairment, and pulmonary hypertension. Laboratory tests not only help verify whether the model has been successfully established, but also provide deeper insights into the pathogenesis of HPH, evaluate the effects of interventions, and offer scientific evidence for clinical outcomes. Pathological examination can further confirm the alterations in pulmonary vascular remodeling and increased right heart load. This multimodal analysis provides a reliable animal model and evaluation paradigm for both basic and translational research on HPH, and is of great significance for exploring disease mechanisms and developing precision therapeutic strategies.
3.Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma tumor size classification based on prognostic analysis: a retrospective multicenter study
Jiaqian CHEN ; Hongzhi LIU ; Lingtian MENG ; Weiping ZHOU ; Zhangjun CHEN ; Jianying LOU ; Shuguo ZHENG ; Xinyu BI ; Jianming WANG ; Wei GUO ; Fuyu LI ; Jian WANG ; Yamin ZHENG ; Jingdong LI ; Shi CHENG
Journal of Surgery Concepts & Practice 2025;30(4):332-338
Objective To retrospectively analyze multicenter data from domestic sources, aiming to explore the link between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) tumor size and prognosis, establishing a classification system based on tumor size. Methods Between December 2011 and September 2018, 280 ICC patients from 13 hospitals were included. The tumor size prognosis cutoff was identified by the minimum P-value method, and the classification's overall survival related effectiveness was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results All 280 patients were divided into the group of tumor maximum diameter ≤4 cm and >4 cm. Tumor size was confirmed as an independent prognosis factor by multivariate COX regression analysis (HR=2.110, 95% CI: 1.358-3.280). Conclusions The tumor size dichotomy classification system based on the Chinese patient group can expediently predict ICC prognosis and offers an important basis for selecting post-operative individualized adjuvant therapy and follow up plans.
4.Influence of Gene Mutation on the Effectiveness of Arsenic-Containing Herbal Compound Formula in Treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndromes of Different TCM Patterns
Zichun WANG ; Zhuo CHEN ; Dexiu WANG ; Haiyan XIAO ; Weiyi LIU ; Ruibai LI ; Chi LIU ; Fengmei WANG ; Shanshan ZHANG ; Mingjing WANG ; Liu LI ; Xiaoqing GUO ; Hongzhi WANG ; Xudong TANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(14):1463-1472
ObjectiveTo observe the effect of gene mutation on the effectiveness of arsenic-containing Chinese herbal compound formulas in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) of different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) patterns, so as to provide the basis for the clinical application. MethodsClinical data of 442 MDS patients who were treated with arsenic-containing herbal compound formulas were retrospectively collected, including the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. Based on the TCM four examinations, the patients were divided into the spleen-kidney deficiency group as well as the qi-yin deficiency group, and according to the results of the next-generation sequencing (NGS) test, they were divided into the group with and without gene mutation respectively. The influence of gene mutation on the clinical effectiveness of patients with different TCM patterns was analyzed, the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients with different outcomes of the two TCM patterns were compared, and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted on the influencing factors of the effective rate of MDS patients with gene mutation. ResultsA total of 190 cases were included in the spleen-kidney deficiency group (119 cases with gene mutation) and 43 cases in the qi-yin deficiency group (23 cases with gene mutation). No statistically significant differences were noted in effectiveness assessment, total effective rate, and total response rate between the spleen-kidney deficiency group and the qi-yin deficiency group (P>0.05). In the spleen-kidney deficiency group, the total effective rate of MDS with gene mutation was 65.55% (78/119), which was lower than 80.28% (57/71) of MDS without gene mutation, with statistical significance (P = 0.033), while no statistical differences in effectiveness assessment and total response rate were noted (P>0.05). In the qi-yin deficiency group, no statistical differences were observed in effectiveness assessment, total effective rate, and total response rate of the patients in with or without gene mutation (P>0.05). In the spleen-kidney deficiency group with gene mutation, the rate of complex karyotype (P = 0.031) and the mutation rate of CBL gene (P = 0.032) in the ineffective population were higher than those in the effective population, while the mutation rate of DDX41 gene in the effective population was higher than that in the ineffective population (P = 0.033). No statistically significant differences were found in other gene mutations, age, gender distribution, number of gene mutations, bone marrow hyperplasia degree, blast cell range, reticular fiber tissue proliferation or not, and prognosis of chromosomal abnormalities between the effective and ineffective populations (P>0.05). In the qi-yin deficiency group with gene mutation, no statistically significant differences were found in various items between populations with different outcomes (P>0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that complex karyotype, CBL mutation, and DDX41 mutation were independently associated with the effective rate of MDS with spleen-kidney deficiency and gene mutation (P<0.05). DDX41 mutation was an independent protective factor in the spleen-kidney deficiency group (OR>1), while complex karyotype and CBL mutation were independent risk factors (OR<1). ConclusionThe arsenic-containing TCM compound formulas exhibited better effectiveness in MDS with spleen-kidney deficiency pattern without mutation; and in MDS with spleen-kidney deficiency pattern without complex karyotypes, CBL mutation, and with DDX41 mutations. Furthermore, DDX41 mutation was an independent protective factor in the spleen-kidney deficiency group, while complex karyotype and CBL mutation were independent risk factors. In MDS with qi-yin deficiency pattern, gene mutation-related factors showed no significant impact on the effectiveness of arsenic-containing TCM compound formulas.
5.Practice and evaluation of pharmacists’participation in long-term MTM models for stroke patients based on family doctor system
Lu SHI ; Chun LIU ; Lian TANG ; Jingjing LI ; Sudong XUE ; Yanxia YU ; Wenwen LI ; Keren YU ; Jianhui XUE ; Wen MA ; Hongzhi XUE
China Pharmacy 2025;36(9):1129-1134
OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical efficacy of integrating pharmacists into family health teams (FHTs) for long-term medication therapeutical management (MTM) in stroke patients, and empirically evaluate the service model. METHODS A pharmacist team, jointly established by clinical and community pharmacists from the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (hereinafter referred to as “our hospital”), developed a pharmacist-supported MTM model integrated into FHTs. Using a prospective randomized controlled design, 170 stroke patients discharged from our hospital (July 2022-December 2023) and enrolled in FHTs at Suzhou Runda Community Hospital were randomly divided into trial group (88 cases) and control group (82 cases) according to random number table. The control group received routine FHTs care (without pharmacist involvement in the team collaboration), while the trial group xhz8405@126.com received 12-month MTM services supported by pharmacists via an information platform. These services specifically included innovative interventions such as personalized medication regimen optimization based on the MTM framework, dynamic medication adherence management, medication safety monitoring, a home medication assessment system, and distinctive service offerings. Outcomes of the 2 grousp were compared before and after intervention, involving medication adherence (adherence rate, adherence score), compliance rates for stroke recurrence risk factors [blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)], and incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADR). RESULTS After 12 months, the trial group exhibited significantly higher medication adherence rates, improved adherence scores, higher compliance rates for blood pressure and LDL-C targets compared to the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of ADR in the trial group (4.55%) was significantly lower than that in the control group (8.11%), though the difference was not statistically significant (P> 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Pharmacist involvement in FHTs to deliver MTM services significantly enhances medication adherence and optimizes risk factor for stroke recurrence, offering practical evidence for advancing pharmaceutical care in chronic disease management under the family doctor system.
6.Advancements and controversies in neoadjuvant and conversion therapies for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Chinese Journal of General Surgery 2025;34(2):222-228
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)typically has an insidious onset,and most patients have already progressed to advanced stages by the time of initial diagnosis,missing the opportunity for radical surgery.Surgical treatment is the main approach for ICC,but the high early recurrence rate after surgery and poor prognosis remain significant challenges.In recent years,there have been continuous breakthroughs in chemotherapy,immunotherapy,targeted therapy,and combination therapies for ICC,ushering in a new era for systemic treatment.With the improvement of treatment effects,conversion therapy,and neoadjuvant therapy have emerged as prominent topics of interest.However,with the deepening of clinical diagnosis and treatment practices,complex and unresolved issues have gradually emerged,triggering extensive discussions among scholars at home and abroad.Currently,there is no clear,standardized diagnostic and therapeutic process for conversion therapy and neoadjuvant therapy in the guidelines of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network or the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology.This article aims to comprehensively review the latest progress in neoadjuvant and conversion therapy for ICC and deeply explore the controversial focuses therein,with the expectation of providing useful references for clinical practice and promoting the further development of this field.
7.Multicenter retrospective analysis of the efficacy of neoadjuvant combined with adjuvant therapy in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Xianglin SONG ; Xiaodong SHI ; Hongzhi LIU ; Jianxing ZENG ; Weiping ZHOU ; Zhangjun CHENG ; Jianying LOU ; Shuguo ZHENG ; Xinyu BI ; Jianming WANG ; Wei GUO ; Fuyu LI ; Jian WANG ; Yamin ZHENG ; Jingdong LI ; Shi CHENG ; Yao HUANG ; Yongyi ZENG
Chinese Journal of General Surgery 2025;34(2):284-297
Background and Aims:Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)is a highly malignant liver tumor,with an increasing incidence worldwide,particularly in Asia.Although radical surgical resection is currently the only potentially curative treatment,the high recurrence rate and low postoperative overall survival(OS)rate of ICC remain major clinical challenges.Adjuvant therapy(AT)and neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)are important strategies to reduce postoperative recurrence and prolong OS.Several studies have shown certain efficacy of these treatments.However,the specific efficacy and safety of combined NAT and AT in ICC treatment require further validation.This study was conducted to evaluate the value of combining NAT and AT in improving the therapeutic outcomes of ICC patients through a multicenter retrospective analysis,so as to provide scientific evidence for optimizing treatment strategies.Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 576 patients with ICC who underwent radical resection and were pathologically confirmed from 13 hospitals in China between December 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively collected.Patients were grouped based on their treatment modality:NAT+AT group,AT group,and non-NAT/AT group.The three patient groups were matched pairwise in a 1∶1 ratio using propensity score matching(PSM)to balance baseline data.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze OS and disease-free survival(DFS),and subgroup analyses were conducted according to the 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system.Results:A total of 395 ICC patients were included in the final analysis,with 42 patients(10.6%)in the NAT+AT group,62 patients(15.7%)in the AT group,and 291 patients(73.7%)in the non-NAT/AT group.Before PSM,significant differences were observed between groups in terms of CA19-9,liver function Child-Pugh classification,intraoperative blood loss,surgical margin,differentiation grade,vascular invasion,ECOG score,and lymph node dissection ratio(all P<0.05).After PSM,there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups(all P>0.05).After matching,the median OS and DFS in the NAT+AT group were significantly better than in the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P<0.05),while there were no significant differences in OS and DFS between the AT and non-NAT/AT groups(both P>0.05).Subgroup analysis showed that in TNM stage I patients,DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(P<0.05),but OS was not significantly different(P>0.05).In TNM stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients,both OS and DFS in the NAT+AT and AT groups were significantly better than in the non-NAT/AT group(both P<0.05),and DFS in the NAT+AT group was significantly better than in the AT group in TNM stage Ⅲ patients(P<0.05).Conclusion:NAT combined with AT provides better survival benefits for patients with locally advanced ICC,but its benefit for early-stage ICC patients is limited.However,the retrospective design and sample size limitations of this study may affect the stability of the results,and future large-sample,multicenter,prospective studies are needed for further validation.
8.Research on the Infection Pathway of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Its Intervention with Traditional Chinese Medicine
Xiaoyou YANG ; Qianqian LIU ; Hongzhi QIAO
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;41(11):1521-1530
Respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)and the acute respiratory infections it induced have become a global key public health issue.However,the existing antiviral drugs are insufficient and have limitations such as drug resistance,limited applicability,and high toxic side effects,which urgently require the development of new therapeutic methods and drugs.As an important part of traditional medicine,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and its compound preparations have rich clinical accumulation and potential advantages in the field of antiviral therapy.Their unique targets and multi-link synergistic effects are highly compatible with the complex patho-genic network of RSV.The article aims to describe the infection pathway and key targets of RSV,summarize the progress and shortcom-ings of existing therapeutic methods,and systematically analyze the regulatory mechanism and drug potential of TCM and its compound preparations on different stages of viral infection,so as to provide reference for improving the prevention and control capabilities and de-veloping new antiviral drugs in China.
9.Research on the Infection Pathway of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Its Intervention with Traditional Chinese Medicine
Xiaoyou YANG ; Qianqian LIU ; Hongzhi QIAO
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;41(11):1521-1530
Respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)and the acute respiratory infections it induced have become a global key public health issue.However,the existing antiviral drugs are insufficient and have limitations such as drug resistance,limited applicability,and high toxic side effects,which urgently require the development of new therapeutic methods and drugs.As an important part of traditional medicine,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and its compound preparations have rich clinical accumulation and potential advantages in the field of antiviral therapy.Their unique targets and multi-link synergistic effects are highly compatible with the complex patho-genic network of RSV.The article aims to describe the infection pathway and key targets of RSV,summarize the progress and shortcom-ings of existing therapeutic methods,and systematically analyze the regulatory mechanism and drug potential of TCM and its compound preparations on different stages of viral infection,so as to provide reference for improving the prevention and control capabilities and de-veloping new antiviral drugs in China.
10.Advancements and controversies in neoadjuvant and conversion therapies for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Chinese Journal of General Surgery 2025;34(2):222-228
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)typically has an insidious onset,and most patients have already progressed to advanced stages by the time of initial diagnosis,missing the opportunity for radical surgery.Surgical treatment is the main approach for ICC,but the high early recurrence rate after surgery and poor prognosis remain significant challenges.In recent years,there have been continuous breakthroughs in chemotherapy,immunotherapy,targeted therapy,and combination therapies for ICC,ushering in a new era for systemic treatment.With the improvement of treatment effects,conversion therapy,and neoadjuvant therapy have emerged as prominent topics of interest.However,with the deepening of clinical diagnosis and treatment practices,complex and unresolved issues have gradually emerged,triggering extensive discussions among scholars at home and abroad.Currently,there is no clear,standardized diagnostic and therapeutic process for conversion therapy and neoadjuvant therapy in the guidelines of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network or the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology.This article aims to comprehensively review the latest progress in neoadjuvant and conversion therapy for ICC and deeply explore the controversial focuses therein,with the expectation of providing useful references for clinical practice and promoting the further development of this field.

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