1.A Review of Methods for Establishing and Evaluating Animal Models of Stroke
Yunrong YANG ; Wenyu WU ; Yue TAN ; Guofeng YAN ; Yao LI ; Jin LU
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2026;46(1):94-106
Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. Research into its mechanisms and the development of therapeutic strategies heavily rely on animal models that accurately replicate the pathological features of human disease. An ideal animal model for stroke should not only reproduce the neurological deficits and pathological changes observed in clinical patients but also demonstrate good reproducibility and translational value. This review focuses on the preparation and evaluation methods of ischemic stroke animal models. Firstly, it elaborates on the selection criteria, advantages, and disadvantages of experimental animals, including rodents (rats, mice) and non-rodents (non-human primates, miniature pigs, rabbits, zebrafish). Secondly, it provides a detailed overview of the modeling principles, key procedures, and application scopes for ischemic stroke models and hemorrhagic stroke models. Furthermore, the review summarizes advances in the applications of emerging technologies—including gene editing [e.g., clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene editing], multimodal imaging (e.g., two-photon microscopy, photoacoustic imaging), artificial intelligence, optogenetics, 3D bioprinting, organoid models, and multi-omics–in model optimization, precise assessment, and mechanistic investigation. Finally, based on a systematic analysis of relevant domestic and international literature from 2019 to 2024, this review discusses model selection strategies based on research objectives, a multidimensional evaluation system encompassing behavioral, imaging, and molecular pathological assessments, and envisions future directions involving technological integration to achieve model precision and individualization. This article aims to provide a comprehensive methodological reference to help researchers select appropriate animal models of stroke according to specific scientific questions.
2.Correlation between liver fibrosis degree and carotid plaque in patients with lean metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease
Shuai ZHANG ; Shoulu JIN ; Wanqing LI ; Xijing SHI ; Hao LIANG ; Hao DONG ; Dailong LU ; Ying ZHU ; Xiaoxing XIANG ; Jun LIU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(2):319-325
ObjectiveTo investigate the association between noninvasive liver fibrosis markers and carotid plaque (CP) in patients with lean metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and to provide a basis for screening high-risk populations. MethodsA total of 957 patients with lean MAFLD who underwent physical examination in Subei People’s Hospital from January 2021 to June 2023 was enrolled as the observation cohort, with the presence or absence of CP as the outcome, and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NFS) were used to assess liver fibrosis degree. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The multivariate logistic regression analysis, the restricted cubic spline analysis, the receiver operating characteristic curve, and the mediation effect analysis were used to investigate the association between liver fibrosis degree and CP. ResultsThe prevalence rate of CP was 36.6% in the lean MAFLD population. Compared with the non-CP group(n=607), the CP group (n=350) had a significantly higher proportion of male patients, a significantly higher proportion of patients with smoking/diabetes/hypertension, and significantly higher levels of age, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio, NFS, and FIB-4 index, as well as significantly lower levels of platelet count and albumin (all P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for confounding factors, FIB-4 index (odds ratio[OR]=2.979, 95% confidence interval[CI]:2.141 — 4.219, P<0.001) and NFS (OR=1.747, 95%CI: 1.499 — 2.046, P<0.001) were positively correlated with CP. Both FIB-4 index and NFS had a good value in predicting CP. Hypertension had a significant indirect effect on the prevalence rate of CP through its impact on liver fibrosis markers, and its mediating effect accounted for 39.5% — 40.8% of the total effect (P<0.001). ConclusionIn patients with lean MAFLD, NFS and FIB-4 index are significantly positively correlated with the prevalence rate of CP, and they can be used as potential epidemiological predictive indicators. Liver fibrosis markers may play a mediating role in the association between hypertension and CP. Interventions targeting hypertension and liver fibrosis markers may help to prevent and delay the progression of CP.
3.Research progress on effects, toxic mechanisms, and risk assessment of organophosphate flame retardants on blood system
Ziyuan LI ; Lin LU ; Xiaoting JIN ; Yuxin ZHENG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(4):509-515
Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) have been widely used as the main alternatives to bromine-based flame retardants, resulting in their widespread detection in environmental media and even in human blood. The potential health risks arising therefrom, particularly the direct impacts on the blood system, have become a focus in the field of environmental health. This article systematically reviewed the latest research progress on the hematotoxicity of OPFRs, covering three core aspects: the toxic effects aspect, which systematically elaborated on the bidirectional interference of OPFRs with coagulation function, their toxic effects on the hematopoietic system, and their disruptive effects on blood biochemical metabolism; the mechanistic analysis aspect, which dissected the multi-pathway, multi-target toxic mechanism network of OPFRs, including common pathways based on oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, the direct and indirect regulation of coagulation function mediated by nuclear receptors and endocrine disruption, and the disturbance of blood cell production at the source through disruption of the hematopoietic microenvironment; and the risk assessment aspect, which, in response to the limitations of traditional methods, focused on the application prospects and core advantages of novel approaches based on structure-activity relationships in filling data gaps and achieving precise risk prediction. This review aims to systematically summarize the research progress on the mechanisms of OPFR-induced hematotoxicity, providing systematic theoretical support for subsequent in-depth mechanistic studies, targeted epidemiological investigations, and the optimization of risk assessment models.
4.Association of liver fibrosis markers and inflammation markers with the risk of gallstones in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease
Shuai ZHANG ; Shoulu JIN ; Wanqing LI ; Xijing SHI ; Hao LIANG ; Hao DONG ; Dailong LU ; Ying ZHU ; Xiaoxing XIANG ; Jun LIU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(3):579-585
ObjectiveTo investigate the association of liver fibrosis scores and inflammation markers with gallstones in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), as well as the mediating role of liver fibrosis scores in the relationship between inflammation markers and gallstones. MethodsA total of 14 567 patients who received physical examination and were diagnosed with MAFLD in Subei People’s Hospital from January 2014 to June 2023 were enrolled in this study, and according to the results of abdominal color Doppler ultrasound, they were divided into gallstone group with 1 724 patients and non-gallstone group with 12 843 patients. Related clinical data were collected from all patients, including demographic data, medical history, family history, physical examination, Color Doppler ultrasound, and biochemical parameters. The biomarkers associated with metabolic disorders and insulin resistance included triglyceride-glucose index (TyG), TyG-body mass index (BMI) index, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHHR); the biomarkers associated with inflammation and nutritional status included neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR); the biomarkers for assessing liver fibrosis degree and liver function included albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI). The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, while the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis, restricted cubic spline analysis, and mediating effect analysis were used to assess the association of liver fibrosis markers and inflammation markers with the risk of gallstones. ResultsThe prevalence rate of gallstones was 11.8% among the MAFLD patients. There were significant differences between the gallstone group and the non-gallstone group in sex, age, smoking history, diabetes, hypertension, lymphocytes, platelets, glucose, albumin, serum uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, red blood cell, NLR, NPAR, MLR, NFS, FIB-4 index, and ALBI score (all P<0.05). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that NLR (odds ratio [OR]=1.091, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.028 — 1.160, P<0.05), NPAR (OR=1.073, 95%CI: 1.042 — 1.105, P<0.05), MLR (OR=1.142, 95%CI: 1.057 — 1.232, P<0.05), NFS (OR=1.239, 95%CI: 1.190 — 1.291, P<0.05), and FIB-4 index (OR=1.326, 95%CI: 1.241 — 1.417, P<0.05) were influencing factors for the prevalence rate of gallstones. The restricted cubic spline analysis showed a significant non-linear association between NFS/FIB-4 index and the risk of gallstone (non-linear P<0.05). The mediating effect analysis further showed that the association of NLR, MLR, and NPAR with gallstones was partially mediated by NFS or FIB-4 index, with a mediating effect accounting for 36.79%、28.09%、29.67% and 18.31%、17.70、11.57%, respectively. ConclusionNFS and FIB-4 index have a non-linear association with the prevalence rate of gallstones in MAFLD patients, and they also mediate the association of NLR, NPAR, and MLR with the risk of gallstone.
5.LI Guolie's Experience in Treating Orthostatic Hypotension from the Perspective of "Raising the Clear and Directing the Turbid Downward"
Zhihui JIN ; Yanjie JIANG ; Wenshan LI ; Xiaoyu ZHU ; Yan LU ;
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):941-945
This paper summarizes professor LI Guolie's clinical experience in treating orthostatic hypotension (OH) based on the theory of "raising the clear and directing the turbid downward". It is considered that the core pathogenesis of OH lies in the body's transition from a supine to an upright position, during which dysfunction of the middle jiao (焦) transformation and transportation, along with impaired pivot function, hinders the ascending of clear yang and the descending of turbid yin. Treatment should follow the general principle of "ascending the clear and directing the turbid downward", placing emphasis on distinguishing the primary and secondary aspects. For cases where the clear yang fails to ascend, the self-formulated Li's Shengqing Jiangzhuo Decoction (李氏升清降浊汤)is used to supplement qi, raise the clear, and strengthen the middle jiao. For cases where the turbid yin fails to descend, the self-formulated Wuxiang Qingzhuo Beverage(五香清浊饮)with modifications is applied to resolve phlegm, eliminate stasis, harmonize the middle, and descend the turbid.
6.LI Guolie's Experience in Treating Orthostatic Hypotension from the Perspective of "Raising the Clear and Directing the Turbid Downward"
Zhihui JIN ; Yanjie JIANG ; Wenshan LI ; Xiaoyu ZHU ; Yan LU ;
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):941-945
This paper summarizes professor LI Guolie's clinical experience in treating orthostatic hypotension (OH) based on the theory of "raising the clear and directing the turbid downward". It is considered that the core pathogenesis of OH lies in the body's transition from a supine to an upright position, during which dysfunction of the middle jiao (焦) transformation and transportation, along with impaired pivot function, hinders the ascending of clear yang and the descending of turbid yin. Treatment should follow the general principle of "ascending the clear and directing the turbid downward", placing emphasis on distinguishing the primary and secondary aspects. For cases where the clear yang fails to ascend, the self-formulated Li's Shengqing Jiangzhuo Decoction (李氏升清降浊汤)is used to supplement qi, raise the clear, and strengthen the middle jiao. For cases where the turbid yin fails to descend, the self-formulated Wuxiang Qingzhuo Beverage(五香清浊饮)with modifications is applied to resolve phlegm, eliminate stasis, harmonize the middle, and descend the turbid.
7.Risk prediction of long working hours exposure on occupational stress and depressive symptoms among internet industry employees: Based on an interpretable machine learning framework
Xinyi LU ; Tao SONG ; Yuting ZHOU ; Qingxin MENG ; Jianlin LOU ; Hongchang ZHOU ; Jin WANG ; Shuang LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(1):16-27
Background Long working hours, as a common risk factor for occupational stress, is closely related to the occurrence of depressive symptoms. Understanding how long working hours affect occupational stress and depressive symptoms will inform occupational health interventions. Objective To quantify the impact of long working hours exposure on occupational stress and depressive symptoms among Internet industry employees, translate black-box outputs into actionable insights, and demonstrate the value of interpretable machine learning for early-warning occupational-health surveillance. Methods A dataset was derived from a cross-sectional survey involving 2866 internet industry employees in China. This survey was part of the project Risk Assessment Of Long Working Hour Exposure And Its Adverse Health Effects, conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Poisoning Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2021 to 2023. Working hours, occupational stress and depressive symptoms were quantified with a set of structured questionnaires including the Core Occupational Stress Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire. Pairwise associations were screened by Mantel tests and variance-inflation factors. Key predictors identified through feature selection were fed into six machine-learning risk-prediction models. Visual interpretation was provided by feature importance, Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) and local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME), while directed causal effects and intervention impacts of prolonged working hours exposure on occupational stress and depressive symptoms were dissected with causal explanation of features techniques. Results The positive rates of occupational stress and depressive symptoms among internet employees were 12.9% and 77.8% respectively. Twelve core features for occupational stress and nine for depressive symptoms were retained after selection. After these features were supplied to six predictive algorithms and evaluated on five metrics, the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM) achieved the highest accuracy—0.89 for occupational stress and 0.79 for depressive symptoms on the hold-out test set. The feature-importance rankings converged on fatigue accumulation and life satisfaction as dominant drivers for both outcomes, whereas weekly working hours and daily overtime emerged as the principal exposure-related predictors. The SHAP summary plots revealed that longer weekly hours and daily overtime systematically elevated the probability of occupational stress. The causal feature explanation further quantified that ascending one category in weekly working hours increased the probability of occupational stress by 7.04%. Conclusion Exposure to long working hours is associated with both occupational stress and depressive symptoms among internet industry employees. Interpretable machine-learning frameworks translate these associations into transparent, defensible drivers, enabling precise identification of the pivotal factors and their interplay. This evidence base equips occupational-health practitioners with actionable insights for designing targeted prevention and intervention strategies.
8.Effects of Electroacupuncture with "Tonifying the Kidney and Dispelling Stasis" Acupoint Prescription on Sexual Function and Penile Vascular Endothelial Function in Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction Model Rats
Mingxi YAN ; Mengze LI ; Pingyu GE ; Chunxia LU ; Caihong XIAO ; Jin CUI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(12):1265-1272
ObjectiveTo observe the effects of electroacupuncture with "tonifying the kidney and dispelling stasis" acupoint prescription on sexual function in diabetic erectile dysfunction (DMED)model rats, and to explore its possible mechanism of action. MethodsSPF male SD rats were randomly divided into 10 each in blank group, model group, Tadalafil group, and electroacupuncture group. DMED rat model was prepared by high glucose and high fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. After successful modelling, rats in the electroacupuncture group were given electroacupuncture intervention of "tonifying the kidney and dispelling stasis" acupoint prescription once every other day; Tadalafil group was given Tadalafil solution 0.5 mg/kg·d by gavage, and the blank group, model group and electroacupuncture group were given 10 ml/kg pure water by gavage once a day. Each group was intervened for 30 days. The body mass and blood glucose level of the rats were detected on the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd days and at the end of the intervention, respectively. At the end of the intervention, the penile erection of the rats was observed by using the apomorphine test; the level of plasma endothelial cell microparticles (EMPs)was detected by flow cytometry; the histopathological morphology of the penile cavernous body was observed by HE staining, and the pathological morphology of the endothelial cells of the penile vasculature was observed by electron microscopy. Serum sex hormones including testosterone (T), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH) and vascular endothelial function-related factors including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelin-1 (ET-1), lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) were measured by ELISA method. ResultsCompared with blank group, the model group, Tadalafil group, and electroacupuncture group all had lower body mass and higher blood glucose levels at each time of testing (P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, the number of penile erections reduced in the model group, the level of CD31+ EMPs increased, the levels of serum T, FSH, LH, and VEGF reduced, and the levels of serum ET-1, LOX-1, sE-selectin, and sICAM-1 increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the Tadalafil group and the electroacupuncture group showed an increased number of penile erections decreased level of CD31+ EMPs, increased levels of serum T, FSH, LH, and VEGF, and decreased levels of serum ET-1, LOX-1, sE-selectin, and sICAM-1 (P<0.01). Compared with the Tadalafil group, serum T, FSH, LH, VEGF levels increased and ET-1, LOX-1 levels decreased in the electroacupuncture group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). HE staining and electron microscopic observation revealed that there was severe pathological damage to the cavernous tissue of the penis and vascular endothelial cells of the rat in the model group, which was ameliorated to a certain degree in both Tadalafil group and electroacupuncture group. ConclusionThe electroacupuncture prescription of "tonifying the kidney and dispelling stasis" can improve the erectile dysfunction of DMED rats, which is comparable to the effect of Tadalafi. Its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of vascular endothelial function.
9.Research progress on the role and mechanism of high mobility group box protein 1 after spinal cord injury
Xin XUE ; Chang-zheng YIN ; Jin-hui CHEN ; Lu-rong HUANG ; Xin ZHENG ; Yi-min LI ; Guo-bao XIAO ; Ping ZHANG ; Jian-hua ZHAO
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2025;34(10):918-923
High mobility group box protein 1(HMGB1)is one of the most widely expressed protein member in the HMGs family,which is well known for its involvement in the body inflammatory response.Previous researches have found that it plays a significant role in cell migration,immune identification and neuroprotection.Spinal cord injury is a disease that causes severe damage to the nervous system,and neural circuits are disrupted after a spinal cord injury,which leads to many conditions including ischemia and hypoxia,inflammatory responses,demyelinating lesions,and glial scar formation that are detrimental to nerve regeneration and repair,making it one of the most difficult diseases to treat in the modern spinal surgery field.HMGB1 is upregulated after spinal cord injury,thereby regulating neuroinflam-matory responses,and participating in the neuronal apoptosis,promoting neuronal regeneration,and inducing neural stem cell differentiation and migration,which plays an important role in the process of neural function recovery.This paper summarizes the structure and function of HMGB1,as well as its role in spinal cord injury,in order to provide direction for founding therapeutic target for neurological function recovery after spinal cord injury.
10.Impact of Postoperative Reduction Quality on Biomechanics of the Femoral Head Following Internal Fixation of Femoral Neck Fractures
Shixiong ZHANG ; Jianxiong MA ; Bin LU ; Ying WANG ; Aixian TIAN ; Lei SUN ; Zhe HAN ; Jiahui CHEN ; Jing DAI ; Haohao BAI ; Hongzhen JIN ; Jie ZHAO ; Pengfei LI ; Xinlong MA
Journal of Medical Biomechanics 2025;40(5):1144-1149
Objective To investigate the effect of postoperative reduction quality in femoral neck fracture internal fixation on mechanical properties of the femoral head from the perspective of trabecular bone biomechanics.Methods From patients who underwent hip replacement surgery for femoral neck fractures,a total of 26 femoral head slice specimens were obtained.The central axis of the primary compressive trabeculae was defined as the 0° group,with the intersection point of the primary compressive trabeculae and the femoral calcar serving as the center.By rotating the specimens to simulate different reduction angles,the cut femoral head slice specimens were randomly divided into five groups:-10°,-5°,0°,5°,and 10°,representing femoral heads with varying reduction qualities.The specimens were subjected to single compression load tests and fatigue load tests.The load was set from 70 N to 1 400 N,at a frequency of 1 Hz,with 10 000 cycles.Axial stiffness,displacement,and the number of collapse cycles were measured,to compare the biomechanical properties of femoral head specimens under different reduction qualities.Results There were differences in the axial stiffness,displacement,and number of collapse cycles among the femoral head specimens in different groups.Under 800 N load,the axial stiffness of 0° group was significantly greater than that of±10° groups(P<0.05).The axial stiffness of 0° group was also greater than that of the±5° groups,but the differences were not statistically significant(P>0.05).The axial stiffness of±5° groups was greater than that of±10° groups(P<0.05).0° group had a lower displacement than±5° groups and±10° groups.However,the differences in displacement between 0° group and±5° groups were not statistically significant(P>0.05),while the differences between the 0° group and±10° groups were statistically significant(P<0.05).The differences in displacement between±5° groups and±10° groups were also statistically significant(P<0.05).0° group had a significantly higher number of collapse cycles than±10° groups(P<0.05).The number of collapse cycles in 0° group was also higher than that in±5° groups,but the differences were not statistically significant(P>0.05).The number of collapse cycles in±5° groups was significantly higher than that±10° groups(P<0.05).Conclusions The quality of reduction after internal fixation of femoral neck fractures significantly affects the biomechanical properties of the femoral head.This study provides a scientific basis for optimizing treatment and postoperative management,aiming to improve clinical outcomes and patients' quality of life.

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