1.Construction and Application of a Real-World Cohort of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Based on a Multimodal Large-Scale Traditional Chinese Medicine Big Data Platform
Zhichao WANG ; Xianmei ZHOU ; Fanchao FENG ; Mengqi WANG ; Xin WANG ; Bin KANG ; Xiaofan YU ; Xiaoxiao WANG ; Lei XIAO ; Juan LI ; Zhichao ZHANG ; Ye MA ; Yeqing JI ; Xin TONG ; Zhuoyue WU ; Jia LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):961-965
This paper introduces a real-world cohort research model for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) based on the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Dominant Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Data Platform. Firstly, data cleaning is performed by standardizing diagnosis, symptoms, treatment and imaging, intelligently extracting unstructured information, and cleaning and constructing a standardized database. Secondly, for cohort establishment, CAP patients across the province are screened in accordance with CAP diagnostic criteria to build a high-quality disease-specific cohort. Lastly, in terms of protocol design, the characteristics of TCM research and the CAP disease profile are considered to determine appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria, estimate sample size, define interventions, outcomes and economic evaluations, providing a reference for real-world TCM research on CAP.
2.Construction and Application of a Real-World Cohort of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Based on a Multimodal Large-Scale Traditional Chinese Medicine Big Data Platform
Zhichao WANG ; Xianmei ZHOU ; Fanchao FENG ; Mengqi WANG ; Xin WANG ; Bin KANG ; Xiaofan YU ; Xiaoxiao WANG ; Lei XIAO ; Juan LI ; Zhichao ZHANG ; Ye MA ; Yeqing JI ; Xin TONG ; Zhuoyue WU ; Jia LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):961-965
This paper introduces a real-world cohort research model for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) based on the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Dominant Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Data Platform. Firstly, data cleaning is performed by standardizing diagnosis, symptoms, treatment and imaging, intelligently extracting unstructured information, and cleaning and constructing a standardized database. Secondly, for cohort establishment, CAP patients across the province are screened in accordance with CAP diagnostic criteria to build a high-quality disease-specific cohort. Lastly, in terms of protocol design, the characteristics of TCM research and the CAP disease profile are considered to determine appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria, estimate sample size, define interventions, outcomes and economic evaluations, providing a reference for real-world TCM research on CAP.
3.Study on the mechanism of cordycepin inhibiting ferroptosis via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to delay the transformation from AKI to CKD
Mengqi BAI ; Junhu LI ; Zhibo ZHAO ; Xiaoshuang ZHOU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(11):1428-1433
OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of cordycepin in delaying the transformation from acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD) (short for “AKI-CKD”). METHODS Network pharmacology and bioinformatics were used to analyze and predict the signaling pathways of cordycepin in delaying AKI-CKD progression and its relationship with the ferroptosis pathway. Cell experiments were performed to verify the predicted results. Human renal tubular epithelial HK-2 cells were divided into blank group, cordycepin group, model group, and H 2 O 2 +cordycepin group. Except for the blank group and cordycepin group, all other groups were treated with 150 μmol/L H 2 O 2 for 72 h to induce persistent oxidative stress injury in cells. After 72 h of cordycepin (40 μmol/L) intervention, the protein and mRNA expression levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (ACSL4),nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in cells were detected. Furthermore, the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 was added on the basis of H 2 O 2 +cordycepin to verify the role of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. RESULTS Network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis showed that there were 42 overlapping genes related to AKI-CKD and ferroptosis that interact with cordycepin ferroptosis, among which 38 were annotated as ferroptosis-related genes. HO-1 and Nrf2 might be important targets for cordycepin to inhibit ferroptosis. The binding energies of cordycepin with Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins were -8.5 and -6.7 kcal/mol, respectively. Cell experiments showed that compared with the model group, the protein and mRNA expression levels of GPX4, Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly increased ( P <0.05),while the protein and mRNA expression levels of ACSL4 were significantly decrease d ( P <0.05) in the H 2 O 2 +cordycepin group. After the addition of the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385, the effects of cordycepin on the above proteins and mRNA were significantly reversed ( P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Cordycepin can inhibit ferroptosis by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, reduce persistent oxidative stress injury of renal tubular epithelial cells, and delay the progression of AKI-CKD.
4.Clinical effect of functional genomic analysis combined with individualized drug selection in treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with congenital hepatic fibrosis: A case report
Kaidi ZHU ; Jianzeng ZHANG ; Hongyi LI ; Mengqi YUAN ; Ziying ZHANG ; Zhe XU ; Hongling LIU ; Fusheng WANG ; Xuechun LU ; Lei SHI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(7):1670-1676
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a systemic hereditary renal disorder and can affect multiple organs, and congenital hepatic fibrosis is one of the manifestations of liver involvement and is an important complication of ADPKD. Symptomatic management is currently the main treatment method for this disease, and disease-specific drugs such as tolvaptan have limited indications and cannot correct the underlying genetic defect. This article reports a case of ADPKD with congenital hepatic fibrosis, and sirolimus was identified as the individualized treatment regimen based on peripheral blood functional genomic analysis and drug sensitivity prediction platform. The patient achieved significant improvements in symptoms and quality of life after treatment, with a stable kidney volume. This case shows that functional genomics has a potential value in guiding individualized treatment of rare genetic disorders, which provides new treatment ideas and practice paths for similar patients.
5.Exploring the Application of "Cleaning Spleen and Restoring Defensive Qi" Method in Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer based on Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Abnormal Accumulation
Chuanlong ZHANG ; Mengqi GAO ; Yi LI ; Xiaochen JIANG ; Songting SHOU ; Bo PANG ; Baojin HUA
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(1):30-33
The abnormal accumulation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) can promote the initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer, which is considered a potential therapeutic target for this disease. The Miraculous Pivot·Inquiry About Statement (《灵枢·口问》) have recorded the concept of "defensive qi stagnation". Based on the recognition that the function of defensive qi is similar to the immune function of neutrophils, and combining traditional Chinese medicine theory with clinical practice, it is proposed that the abnormal accumulation of NETs may be a pathological product of "defensive qi stagnation", with the spleen being the critical site of pathology. Further exploring the application strategy of cleaning spleen and restoring defensive qi method in pancreatic cancer treatment, it is proposed to employ three approaches such as dredging method to eliminate spleen stagnation and inhibit pancreatic cancer proliferation, cleaning method to remove spleen dampness and suppress the inflammatory micro-environment, and tonifying method to strengthen Weiqi and to improve the immune microenvironment, which aims to provide new insights for the clinical treatment of pancreatic cancer with traditional Chinese medicine.
6.Mining and verification of inflammation-related genes in skeletal muscle of exhaustive exercise rats undergoing cannabidiol intervention
Wenning ZHU ; Lili SUN ; Lina PENG ; Juncheng SI ; Wanli ZANG ; Weidong YIN ; Mengqi LI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(11):2347-2356
BACKGROUND:Cannabidiol is effective in ameliorating the body's inflammatory response,but no clear mechanistic studies have been conducted to ameliorate skeletal muscle inflammation induced by exhaustive exercise. OBJECTIVE:To explore the mechanism by which cannabidiol improves skeletal muscle inflammation during exhaustive exercise by using transcriptome sequencing technology. METHODS:Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups:blank control group,exercise coconut oil group,exercise control group,50 mg/kg cannabidiol group,60 mg/kg cannabidiol group,and 70 mg/kg cannabidiol group,with six rats in each group.Except for rats in the blank control group,rats in each group were subjected to swimming exercise for 9 days to produce the exhaustive exercise model.At the end of each swimming exercise,rats in the cannabidiol groups were given 2 mL of fat-soluble cannabidiol at different concentrations(50,60,and 70 mg/kg)by gavage;rats in the exercise coconut oil group were given the same volume of coconut oil by gavage until the end of the exercise on the 9th day;and rats in the blank control group and the exercise control group were not given any special treatment.The levels of inflammatory factors and differentially expressed genes in the skeletal muscle of rats in each group were determined using ELISA and transcriptome sequencing techniques.Differentially expressed genes obtained were subjected to KEGG analysis,and the accuracy of the sequencing data was verified by fluorescence quantitative PCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The results of ELISA showed that the contents of interleukin-6(P<0.05),tumor necrosis factor-α(P<0.01),interleukin-10 and other inflammatory factors in the exercise group increased significantly compared with the blank control group and the coconut oil group.After cannabidiol intervention,the mass concentrations of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α showed a sequential decrease with increasing cannabidiol concentration.By comparing GO and KEGG databases,the functional properties of differentially expressed genes were analyzed,and the results showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway and the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway.RT-qPCR results showed that the trends of five randomly selected differentially expressed genes were in agreement with the transcriptome sequencing results.To conclude,cannabidiol can improve skeletal muscle inflammation caused by exhaustive exercise.
7.Development and preliminary application of the Treatment Burden Scale for patients with chronic heart failure
Mengqi MA ; Xiaohong ZHANG ; Hong HE ; Wenjing ZHANG ; Jianzhi LI
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(16):1948-1954
Objective To develop a Treatment Burden Scale for patients with chronic heart failure(CHF)and evaluate its reliability and validity,aiming to provide an effective tool for assessing treatment burden levels in this population.Methods According to Cumulative Complexity Model,the study was conducted in 2 phases.A preliminary item pool was established through literature review and semi-structured interviews,from August 2022 to March 2023,followed by expert consultation to finalize the initial scale.A convenience sample of CHF patients from 4 tertiary A hospitals in Hunan and Hubei provinces was conducted to refine scale items and assess psychometric properties,from June 2023 to April 2024.Results The final scale contained 26 items.Exploratory factor analysis revealed 6 domains,including family financial support burden,healthcare utilization burden,the challenges patients face in acquiring knowledge about proper medication use and water/sodium dietary management,the behavioral burden associated with tracking daily water/sodium intake and symptom patterns,psychological burden,and medication management burden,cumulatively explaining 68.661%of variance.Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated satisfactory model fit;the x2/df was 2.076;the root mean square error of approximation was 0.070;the normed fit index was 0.912;the content validity score was 0.974.The total Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.903;the split-half reliability was 0.785;the test-retest reliability was 0.936.Conclusion The Treatment Burden Scale for CHF patients developed in this study has good reliability and validity psychometric properties,and it can be used to evaluate treatment burden levels and influencing factors in clinical practice.
8.Study on pathogenesis of adenomyosis based on IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 sig-naling pathway
Simiao YAN ; Mengqi LI ; Yi CHEN ; Xiuchi ZHONG ; Yingzhou TIAN ; Yiran LIN ; Zaifan LIN ; Qingzhen RAN ; Wanqun CHEN
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2025;41(5):972-983
AIM:This study aims to investigate the functions of interleukin-6(IL-6)/Janus kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)signaling pathway in adenomyosis(ADM),and to assess the therapeutic potential of JAK2 inhibitor AG490.METHODS:(1)Neonatal female mice were randomly divided into 2 groups:control group and ADM group.An ADM mice model was established by tamoxifen.Additionally,Western blot was employed to detect the expression of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway-related proteins.(2)Human endometrial adenocarcinoma Ishikawa cells were treated with AG490,and Western blot was performed to evaluate the expression of the proteins related to IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway,epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT),cell migration and cell proliferation.Besides,wound-healing and Transwell assays were carried out to investigate the cell migration and inva-sion.Colony formation and EdU assays were employed to investigate the cell proliferation,and flow cytometry analysis was performed to investigate the cell apoptosis.(3)The ADM mice were randomly divided into 2 groups:ADM group and AG490 group.The expression of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway-related proteins in uterine tissues was detected by Western blot.Besides,Western blot and immunohistochemistry were employed to detect the expression of the proteins re-lated to cell EMT,migration and proliferation.Cell apoptosis in uterine tissues was detected by TUNEL assay.RE-SULTS:(1)The expression of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway-related proteins exhibited an increasing trend in ADM mice(P<0.05).(2)Treatment with AG490 significantly suppressed the expression of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway-related proteins in Ishikawa cells(P<0.05).The protein level of E-cadherin showed an increasing trend(P<0.01),while the expression levels of N-cadherin,vimentin and Slug showed a decreasing trend(P<0.05)in Ishikawa cells after AG490 treatment.Besides,the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was down-regulated(P<0.05),and the capa-bilities of cell migration and invasion were suppressed in AG490-treated Ishikawa cells(P<0.05).The expression levels of Bcl-2 and cyclin D1 exhibited a decreasing trend(P<0.05),and the expression level of Bax increased(P<0.05)in Ishikawa cells after treatment with AG490.Additionally,AG490 inhibited Ishikawa cell proliferation,and enhanced the cell apoptosis(P<0.01).(3)The p-JAK2/JAK ratio and the IL-6 expression exhibited a decreasing trend in AG490 group(P<0.01).Moreover,the expression of E-cadherin was up-regulated(P<0.05),while the expression of N-cadherin,vi-mentin,Snail,Slug and Twist was down-regulated(P<0.05)in ADM mice after treatment with AG490.Compared with ADM group,the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 decreased in AG490 group(P<0.05),alongside the down-regulated Bcl-2/Bax ratio and PCNA expression(P<0.01).Besides,the cell apoptosis was enhanced by AG490.CONCLUSION:The IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway is aberrantly activated in ADM and facilitates endometrial cell EMT,prolifera-tion,invasion and migration.Additionally,AG490 inhibits the progression of ADM by blocking the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 sig-naling pathway.
9.Transcriptome sequencing analysis of the mechanism by which cold water swimming regulates inflammatory response in rats
Juncheng SI ; Lina PENG ; Lili SUN ; Yu WANG ; Lei SHI ; Wenhui SHEN ; Mengqi LI ; Wanli ZANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(29):6205-6211
BACKGROUND:When exercising in a cold environment,the body's inflammatory response is affected by both low temperature and exercise intervention,and its impact and mechanism remain to be explored.OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects and mechanisms of cold water swimming on inflammatory response of rats based on transcriptome sequencing technology.METHODS:40 male SD rats were randomly divided into room temperature control group,room temperature swimming group,cold water control group,and cold water swimming group,with 10 rats in each group.The room temperature control group had no intervention and was free to eat.The room temperature swimming group received swimming at 30 min/time,6 times/week,for 5 weeks;the water temperature was(28±2)℃,and the water depth was 35 cm.In the cold water control group,the rats were placed in a water tank with a depth of 3 cm;the water temperature was(18±2)℃,and they were free to move.The cold water swimming group received swimming at 30 min/time,6 times/week,for 5 weeks;the water temperature was(18±2)℃,and the water depth was 35 cm.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of serum interleukin-6,tumor necrosis factor-α,and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.Based on the transcriptome sequencing results,differentially expressed genes were screened to draw Venn diagrams and heat maps,and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were performed.The protein-protein interaction network was used to screen core genes.RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of IRF7,OAS2,and OASL in rat spleen tissue.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The ELISA results showed that compared with the room temperature control group,the levels of various inflammatory indicators in the room temperature swimming group and the cold water swimming group were significantly increased(P<0.05),and there was no significant difference in the cold water control group.Compared with the room temperature swimming group,there was no significant difference in the expression of inflammatory indicators in the cold water swimming group.Compared with the cold water control group,the expressions of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the cold water swimming group showed an upward trend,and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein increased significantly(P<0.05).(2)Transcriptome analysis:Venn diagram showed that there were 39 differentially expressed genes affected by the dual factors of temperature and exercise intervention.Cluster heat map analysis results showed that the overall gene expression trends of the room temperature swimming group and the cold water swimming group were similar,and the cold water control group showed an opposite trend.Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis results showed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in the immune system,locomotion,nucleic acid-binding transcription factor activity,NOD-like receptor signaling pathways and other pathways.The number of genes enriched in the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway was relatively large,and the q value was small,which may be a key pathway.The protein-protein interaction network screened out IRF7,OAS2,OASL,IFIT2,IFIT3 and other core genes.(3)RT-qPCR verification results showed that compared with the room temperature control group,the expressions of IRF7,OAS2 and OASL were significantly increased in the room temperature swimming group and the cold water swimming group(P<0.01),and there was no significant difference in the cold water control group.Compared with the cold water control group,the expression of each gene was significantly increased in the cold water swimming group(P<0.01).(4)It is concluded that cold water swimming can promote inflammatory response,and its mechanism may be regulated through the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway.
10.Comparative analysis of the value of immunotherapy in bladder preservation with chemoradiotherapy for bladder cancer
Ping TANG ; Yuchen HAN ; Mengqi ZHANG ; Junjun GAO ; Yueping LIU ; Hui FANG ; Wenwen ZHANG ; Linjun HU ; Xingang BI ; Jianzhong SHOU ; Ye-xiong LI
Chinese Journal of Radiation Oncology 2025;34(9):921-928
Objective:To compare the preliminary efficacy and adverse events of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with or without immunotherapy in bladder preservation therapy for localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) confined to the pelvis.Methods:Clinical data of 60 patients with MIBC who received CRT with or without immunotherapy for bladder preservation at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2016 to June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into CRT plus immunotherapy group and CRT-alone group. Survival outcomes, bladder function preservation, recurrence and metastasis, as well as early and late radiation toxicities were evaluated. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for between-group comparisons. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival rates were compared by the log-rank test. Results:In the CRT plus immunotherapy group ( n=23), the median follow-up was 20 months. The median OS and median PFS were not reached. The 2-year OS, PFS, LRFS, and DMFS rates were 95.7%, 70.7%, 70.7%, and 92.9%, respectively, and 22 patients (96%) preserved normal bladder function. Patients with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) ≥1 had significantly higher 1-year PFS rate than those with CPS <1 (100% vs. 66.7%, P=0.004). In the CRT-alone group ( n=37), the median follow-up was 37 months, with median OS and PFS of 68 and 19 months, respectively. The 2-year OS, PFS, LRFS, and DMFS rates were 92.0%, 41.1%, 60.9% and 81.5%, respectively, and 33 patients (89%) preserved normal bladder function. Compared with the CRT-alone group, the CRT plus immunotherapy group showed a significant improvement in PFS ( χ2=4.38, P=0.036), while no significant differences were observed in OS, LRFS, or DMFS (all P>0.05). The incidence of acute hematologic toxicity in the CRT plus immunotherapy group and CRT-alone group were 52% (12/23), 27% (10/37) respectively, and late genitourinary toxicity was 22% (5/23), 8% (3/37), respectively, with no significant differences in overall acute or late toxicities (all P>0.05). Conclusions:For localized MIBC, bladder preservation with CRT combined with immunotherapy significantly improves PFS compared with CRT alone, while maintaining comparable safety. The PD-L1 status may serve as a favorable predictor for immunotherapy efficacy.

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