1.Correlation Analysis of Huanglian Jiedu Wan on Syndrome Improvement and Clinical Biomarkers of "Excess Heat-Toxicity" Based on Machine Learning Model
Qi LI ; Keke LUO ; Baolin BIAN ; Hongyu YU ; Mengxiao WANG ; Mengyao TIAN ; Wen XIA ; Yuan MA ; Xinfang ZHANG ; Pengyue LI ; Nan SI ; Hongjie WANG ; Yanyan ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):162-173
ObjectiveThis paper aims to find the identified and validated clinical biomarker data building upon a clinical study of early-phase phase Ⅱ and investigate the correlation analysis of Huanglian Jiedu Wan on syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" based on a machine learning model. Additionally, the effective prediction of clinical biomarker values for the main symptoms of the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome was assessed. MethodsA total of 229 patients meeting the inclusion criteria for "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome were randomly divided into the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group. Syndrome score transition matrices were constructed for the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group based on three main symptoms of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome, such as oral ulcers, sore throat, and gum swelling and pain. Data from the patients with these three syndromes were also integrated for an overall analysis. The corresponding syndrome score transition matrices were further constructed to visualize symptom change trends of the patients in the two groups via heatmaps. Based on the identified and validated clinical biomarkers related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism in the early phase, Spearman correlation analysis was employed to analyze and evaluate the associations between clinical biomarkers and syndrome improvement. Key clinical biomarkers reflecting the effect of Huanglian Jiedu Wan were screened through the comparison of differences between groups. An extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm was used to develop a prediction model for main symptom classification, with classification performance evaluated through 10-fold cross-validation. Feature importance analysis was applied to identify variables with the greatest contribution to the prediction result. ResultsThe syndrome transition matrix results indicated that the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group showed a superior effect to the placebo group in improving oral ulcers, sore throat, and overall symptoms, with significant effects observed especially in sore throat and overall symptom analyses (P<0.01). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that several clinical biomarkers positively correlated with "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome and its main symptom improvement, were also called "heat-related biomarkers", including succinic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, glycine, lactic acid, adenosine monophosphate (AMP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and so on. Conversely, clinical biomarkers negatively correlated with symptom severity, were also called "heat-clearing related biomarkers" after administration of Huanglian Jiedu Wan, including malic acid, fumaric acid, cis-aconitic acid, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), IL-1β, IL-4, IL-8, succinic acid, and citric acid. The XGBoost classification model using all 52 biomarkers as variables achieved an average test accuracy of 0.754 and an average F1 score of 0.777. Feature importance analysis identified the scores of glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 were the highest in all the variables, with importance scores of 0.081 and 0.080, respectively. After screening out 14 key variables and optimizing the parameters, model performance improved to an average accuracy of 0.758 and an F1 score of 0.798. Feature importance analysis further determined that the glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 showed obvious changes after screening the variables, confirming the good syndrome prediction ability of the model constructed by these key clinical biomarkers. ConclusionThis study systematically elucidates the correlation between syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers of Huanglian Jiedu Wan in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome. An XGBoost classification model based on key clinical biomarkers is successfully established, achieving effective prediction of the symptoms related to the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome such as oral ulcers and sore throat and providing a new insight for objective identification of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.
2.Correlation Analysis of Huanglian Jiedu Wan on Syndrome Improvement and Clinical Biomarkers of "Excess Heat-Toxicity" Based on Machine Learning Model
Qi LI ; Keke LUO ; Baolin BIAN ; Hongyu YU ; Mengxiao WANG ; Mengyao TIAN ; Wen XIA ; Yuan MA ; Xinfang ZHANG ; Pengyue LI ; Nan SI ; Hongjie WANG ; Yanyan ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):162-173
ObjectiveThis paper aims to find the identified and validated clinical biomarker data building upon a clinical study of early-phase phase Ⅱ and investigate the correlation analysis of Huanglian Jiedu Wan on syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" based on a machine learning model. Additionally, the effective prediction of clinical biomarker values for the main symptoms of the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome was assessed. MethodsA total of 229 patients meeting the inclusion criteria for "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome were randomly divided into the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group. Syndrome score transition matrices were constructed for the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group and the placebo group based on three main symptoms of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome, such as oral ulcers, sore throat, and gum swelling and pain. Data from the patients with these three syndromes were also integrated for an overall analysis. The corresponding syndrome score transition matrices were further constructed to visualize symptom change trends of the patients in the two groups via heatmaps. Based on the identified and validated clinical biomarkers related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism in the early phase, Spearman correlation analysis was employed to analyze and evaluate the associations between clinical biomarkers and syndrome improvement. Key clinical biomarkers reflecting the effect of Huanglian Jiedu Wan were screened through the comparison of differences between groups. An extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm was used to develop a prediction model for main symptom classification, with classification performance evaluated through 10-fold cross-validation. Feature importance analysis was applied to identify variables with the greatest contribution to the prediction result. ResultsThe syndrome transition matrix results indicated that the Huanglian Jiedu Wan group showed a superior effect to the placebo group in improving oral ulcers, sore throat, and overall symptoms, with significant effects observed especially in sore throat and overall symptom analyses (P<0.01). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that several clinical biomarkers positively correlated with "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome and its main symptom improvement, were also called "heat-related biomarkers", including succinic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, glycine, lactic acid, adenosine monophosphate (AMP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and so on. Conversely, clinical biomarkers negatively correlated with symptom severity, were also called "heat-clearing related biomarkers" after administration of Huanglian Jiedu Wan, including malic acid, fumaric acid, cis-aconitic acid, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), IL-1β, IL-4, IL-8, succinic acid, and citric acid. The XGBoost classification model using all 52 biomarkers as variables achieved an average test accuracy of 0.754 and an average F1 score of 0.777. Feature importance analysis identified the scores of glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 were the highest in all the variables, with importance scores of 0.081 and 0.080, respectively. After screening out 14 key variables and optimizing the parameters, model performance improved to an average accuracy of 0.758 and an F1 score of 0.798. Feature importance analysis further determined that the glutamic acid in saliva and IL-6 showed obvious changes after screening the variables, confirming the good syndrome prediction ability of the model constructed by these key clinical biomarkers. ConclusionThis study systematically elucidates the correlation between syndrome improvement and clinical biomarkers of Huanglian Jiedu Wan in the treatment of "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome. An XGBoost classification model based on key clinical biomarkers is successfully established, achieving effective prediction of the symptoms related to the "excess heat-toxicity" syndrome such as oral ulcers and sore throat and providing a new insight for objective identification of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.
3.KDM5A/cGAS-STING–mediated microglial activation contributes to prenatal fine particulate matter induced cerebral cortical injury in offspring mice
Wenke NIE ; Li ZHOU ; Siqi WANG ; Chao SONG ; Hang YU ; Wanwei LI ; Mengxiao LUAN ; Lu SUN ; Li YU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(3):270-277
Background Prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is closely associated with cortical damage and neuroinflammation in offspring. The cyclic guanosine monophosphate–adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS)–stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway is a key regulator of inflammation and may be subject to epigenetic regulation. Objective To investigate the role of cGAS-STING pathway activation in PM2.5-induced cortical damage in offspring mice during pregnancy and the underlying epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. Methods Open field tests were used to assess depressive-like behavior in offspring mice. Morphological analysis was conducted to evaluate cortical damage and microglial activation in offspring brains. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB) were performed to detect changes in the expression of key molecules in the cGAS-STING pathway in cortical tissue. A PM2.5-induced microglial cell injury model was established in BV2 cells. Microglial activation was observed, cell viability was measured using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), and the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and key molecules in the cGAS-STING pathway were detected by RT-qPCR and WB. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to explore the epigenetic regulatory association between the STING signaling pathway and lysine-specific demethylase 5A (KDM5A). Changes in KDM5A mRNA and protein expression, as well as the protein level of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3), were detected in an in vitro PM2.5 injury model. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology, the KDM5A gene was silenced in BV2 cells exposed to PM2.5. The protein expression of H3K4me3 was detected to evaluate improvements in microglial activation, changes in inflammatory markers such as iNOS and mannose receptor (CD206), and alterations in the cGAS-STING pathway. Results Compared with the control group, the total distance of offspring mice in the PM2.5 group was significantly reduced, and both the distance traveled and the time spent in the central area of the open field were significantly decreased (P<0.01, P<0.001), indicating depressive-like behavior in the offspring mice. Compared with the control group, the offspring mice in the PM2.5 group exhibited disorganized cortical structure and significantly activated microglia (P<0.01), with significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of cGAS and STING (P<0.05, P<0.01, or P<0.001). The in vitro experiments demonstrated that the PM2.5 treatment induced BV2 cells to polarize toward the M1 phenotype, exhibiting a distinct amoeboid morphology, with upregulated expression of the pro-inflammatory factor iNOS (P<0.05, P<0.01, or P<0.001) and activation of the cGAS-STING pathway (P<0.05, P<0.01). The analysis of RNA-seq data from KDM5A knockout cells revealed significantly downregulated STING expression, suggesting that KDM5A may activate the STING signaling pathway. The in vitro experiments further confirmed that the PM2.5-treated BV2 cells exhibited significantly elevated mRNA and protein levels of KDM5A (P<0.01), while the H3K4me3 protein levels were markedly reduced (P<0.05). After silencing KDM5A in BV2 cells exposed to PM2.5, compared with the PM2.5+siNC group, the PM2.5+siKDM5A group showed no obvious microglial activation and polarized toward the M2 phenotype, with significantly decreased expression levels of iNOS, cluster of differentiation 16 (CD16), and interleukin-1β (P<0.05, P<0.01), and significantly increased expression levels of anti-inflammatory factors CD206, YM1, and interleukin-10 (P<0.01, P<0.001). Meanwhile, the expression levels of cGAS and STING were also reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion KDM5A activates microglia through the cGAS-STING pathway, thereby contributing to PM2.5-induced cortical damage in offspring mice during pregnancy.
4.Prokaryotic expression of Echinococcus granulosus Polo-like kinase 2 and immunoprotective efficacy of its recombinant protein
Xue WANG ; Mingzhi YAN ; Wenjing QI ; Chuanchuan WU ; Guowu ZHANG ; An GENG ; Mengxiao TIAN ; Jun LI ; Wenbao ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2026;38(2):184-193
Objective To prepare the recombinant Echinococcus granulosus Polo-like kinase 2 (rEgPLK2) protein and evaluate its immunoprotective efficacy against cystic echinococcosis, so as to provide insights into research and development of novel vaccines against echinococcosis. Methods The Polo-like kinase (PLK) protein sequences were retrieved from 12 species in the NCBI protein database, including E. granulosus and E. multilocularis. Multiple sequence alignment was performed using the Clustal Omega program, and structural visualization and homology analysis were conducted using the ESPript 3.2 program. The recombinant plasmid pET-30a-EgPLK2 was transformed into BL21(DE3) competent cells. Protein expression was induced with isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG), and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was performed to characterize the expression and molecular weight of the rEgPLK2 protein. The purified rEgPLK2 protein was thoroughly emulsified with Freund’s complete adjuvant at a 1 : 1 volume ratio. Two New Zealand white rabbits were immunized with multipoint subcutaneous injection on the back at a dose of 300 μg per rabbit for primary immunization. For booster immunizations, the protein was emulsified with Freund’s incomplete adjuvant at a 1 : 1 volume ratio and administered on days 14, 28, and 42 after the primary immunization at a dose of 150 μg per rabbit. Serum was sampled from the rabbit ear vein on day 7 after the final immunization to yield anti-rEgPLK2 polyclonal antibodies. Antibody titer was determined by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and antibody specificity was verified by Western blotting. The tissue localization of the EgPLK2 protein was detected in E. granulosus protoscoleces and adult worms using immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Eighteen 6- to 8-week-old female SPF-grade BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups, including the blank control group, rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group, and PBS-ISA adjuvant control group, of 6 mice each group. Mice in the rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group and PBSISA group received three primary immunizations via intramuscular injection, and animals in the rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group was inoculated with immunogens prepared by emulsifying rEgPLK2 protein with ISA 201 adjuvant at a 1 : 1 volume ratio (6 μg per mouse), while mice in the PBS-ISA adjuvant control group received an equal volume of PBS emulsified with ISA adjuvant at a 1 : 1 volume ratio. A fourth booster immunization was administered via intraperitoneal injection. Mice in the rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group received a booster immunization with 8 μg of rEgPLK2 protein per mouse, and animals in the PBS-ISA group received an equal volume of PBS, with immunizations given at 2-week intervals. Mice in the blank control group were given no treatment, and housed under standard conditions. Tail vein blood was collected from all mice 7 days after the final immunization, and levels of specific anti-rEgPLK2 IgG antibody and its subclasses (IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3) were measured by indirect ELISA. E. granulosus infection was modelled in mice through injection with 1 000 E. granulosus protoscoleces via intrahepatic portal vein in the rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group and PBS-ISA adjuvant control group 2 weeks after the last immunization. All mice were sacrificed and dissected. The number of cysts was counted in mouse livers, and the cyst reduction rate was calculated. Liver tissues were processed for paraffin sectioning and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE), and histopathological changes were examined under a light microscope. Results Sequence analysis revealed that EgPLK2 shared a high amino acid sequence homology with E. multilocularis PLK2 (EmPLK2) and contained the typical domains of the Polo-like kinase family, including the serine/threonine protein kinase catalytic domain (STKc) and Polo-box. The IPTG-induced rEgPLK2 protein was mainly expressed in the form of inclusion bodies, and the purified rEgPLK2 protein showed a relative molecular mass of approximately 70 kDa. The prepared rabbit anti-rEgPLK2 polyclonal antibody had a titer of 1 : 256 000, and Western blotting assay showed that this anti-body specifically recognized the rEgPLK2 protein with a relative molecular mass of approximately 70 kDa. Immunofluorescence assay showed that the EgPLK2 protein was localized in the excretory bladder and rostellum of E. granulosus protoscoleces, as well as the tegument, suckers, and inter-proglottid junctions of adult worms. Immunoprotective assay showed that the serum levels of specific anti-rEgPLK2 IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b antibodies were 2.92 ± 0.49, 0.33 ± 0.10, 0.31 (0.36), and 3.12 (1.73) in mice in the rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group, which were all significantly higher than those in the PBS-ISA adjuvant control group (0.14 ± 0.04, 0.07 ± 0.01, 0.12 ± 0.04, and 0.11 ± 0.04, respectively) (t = 19.28 and 8.46, Z = 3.75 and 4.15; all P values < 0.001); however, there was no significant difference in the serum anti-IgG3 antibody level between the rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group and the PBS-ISA adjuvant control group [0.07 (0.01) vs. 0.073 (0.07); Z = 0.69, P > 0.05)]. In the mouse model of E. granulosus infections, the area of hepatic lesions was reduced and the inflammatory infiltration was alleviated in the rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group than in the PBS-ISA adjuvant control group, and the number of hepatic cysts was higher in the PBS-ISA adjuvant control group than in the rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group [8.00 (2.00) vs. 1.00 (0.75); Z = −2.93, P < 0.01], with a cyst reduction rate of 80.40%. Indirect ELISA assay measured higher serum levels of specific anti-rEgPLK2 IgG (3.28 ± 0.48 vs. 0.11 ± 0.04; t = 15.86, P < 0.01), IgG1 (0.29 ± 0.02 vs. 0.09 ± 0.01; t = 15.67, P < 0.01), IgG2a [3.71 (1.09) vs. 0.08 (0.03); Z = 2.88, P < 0.01], and IgG2b antibodies [3.34 (1.01) vs. 0.08 (0.03); Z = 2.88, P < 0.01] in the rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group than in the PBS-ISA adjuvant control group, and there was no significant difference in the serum level of the specific anti-rEgPLK2 IgG3 antibody between the rEgPLK2-ISA immunization group and the PBS-ISA adjuvant control group (0.07 ± 0.01 vs. 0.07 ± 0.01; t = 1.29, P > 0.05). Conclusions The prokaryotic expression system has been successfully constructed for the EgPLK2 gene and the anti-rEgPLK2 polyclonal antibody has been obtained. The rEgPLK2 protein exhibits a high immunogenicity, and is effective to protect against E. granulosus infection, and inhibits cyst development, which is a promising candidate vaccine target against cystic echinococcosis.
5.Clinical application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for identifying non-tuberculous mycobacteria from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
Jieyuan ZHENG ; Dan ZHANG ; Jieting ZHOU ; Jingchao WANG ; Lingjun YUAN ; Mengxiao XIE ; Binxiao LI ; Dongsheng HAN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases 2025;18(1):19-24
Objective:To evaluate the application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)in the identification of non-tuberculous mycobacteria(NTM).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on mNGS results of 358 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)samples positive for NTM collected at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from February 2021 to January 2024. The analysis included the distribution of NTM species,the detection of mixed pathogens,and the performance of conventional mycobacterial detection methods.Results:The results showed that 362 strains of 15 NTM species were identified from 350 specimens,8 specimens were not precise to the species level. The most frequently detected species were Mycobacterium intracellulare(37.3%,135/362), Mycobacterium abscessus(26.8%,97/362),followed by Mycobacterium avium(11.0%,40/362), Mycobacterium kansasii(8.0%,29/362)and Mycobacterium chelonae(7.7%,28/362). Single NTM species were detected in 339 specimens,while two or three NTM species were simultaneously detected in 11 specimens(3.1%,11/358). Non-NTM microorganisms co-infected were detected in 53.4%(191/358)of NTM-positive BALF samples,including common pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus,and Aspergillus fumigatus;and difficult-to-identify pathogens such as Legionella pneumophila and Talaromyces marneffei. In NTM-positive patients detected by mNGS,the results supported the diagnosis of NTM infection in 298 cases(298/358,83.2%)and 105 cases(105/358,29.3%)initiated anti-NTM treatment accordingly;while in 60 cases(60/358,16.8%)the positive results were considered as colonization or unrelated to clinical infection. For samples tested with acid-fast staining,mycobacterial liquid culture,and DNA microarray,the positivity rates for NTM were 31.5%(73/232),48.7%(57/117),and 43.0%(46/107),respectively. Conclusions:mNGS demonstrates advantages in identification of NTM. However,the test may detect multiple microorganisms,in that case,the interpretation with clinical and radiological results is requried to determine the main pathogens.
6.Distribution characteristics of CTLA-4 on the surface of CD4+T cells in breast cancer patients with different stages and its prediction of the efficacy of radical mastectomy
Mengxiao WANG ; Xi CHENG ; Yang XIE ; Yaping LI ; Guanggang ZHANG
Tumor 2025;45(3):254-268
Objective:To investigate the distribution characteristics of CTLA-4 on the surface of CD4+T cells in patients with breast cancer at different stages,and to evaluate its predictive value for the efficacy of radical mastectomy.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 200 breast cancer patients admitted between January 2020 and December 2022.Patients were divided into four groups based on clinical staging:stage Ⅰ(64 cases),stage Ⅱ(57 cases),stage Ⅲ(43 cases),and stage Ⅳ(36 cases).The clinical pathological characteristics of the four groups were compared,and the expression level of CTLA-4 on the surface of CD4+T cells in peripheral venous blood(CTLA-4+CD4+)was detected.Patients were divided into a poor prognosis group(52 cases)and a good prognosis group(148 cases)based on their prognosis,and the clinical pathological characteristics of the two groups were compared.A stratified regression model was used to analyze the relationship between CTLA-4+CD4+expression levels and different clinical characteristics.Logistic regression analysis was employed to evaluate the independent correlation between CTLA-4+CD4+expression levels and the risk of poor prognosis.An unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the multiplicative interaction effect of CTLA-4+CD4+expression levels and clinical staging on prognosis prediction.Restricted cubic spline analysis was used to investigate the relationship between CTLA-4+CD4+expression levels and poor patient prognosis.Results:Significant differences were observed in tumor diameter,ECOG score,lesion multiplicity,lymph node metastasis,tumor differentiation degree,ER,PR,HER2,Ki-67,CA125,CA153,and CEA among patients with different clinical stages(P<0.05).Significant differences were also observed in CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,and CTLA-4+CD4+(P<0.05).As the clinical stage increased,the proportions of CD3+,CD4+,and CD8+decreased,while the proportion of CTLA-4 on the surface of CD4+T cells increased(P<0.05).Significant differences were observed in clinical stage,tumor diameter,lymph node metastasis,tumor differentiation degree,ECOG score,ER,PR,HER2,and CTLA-4+CD4+among patients with different prognosis groups(P<0.05).Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that clinical stage,tumor diameter,lymph node metastasis,tumor differentiation degree,ECOG score,and HER2 had a significant positive impact on CTLA-4+CD4+(P<0.05),while ER and PR had a significant negative impact on CTLA-4+CD4+(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that CTLA-4+CD4+was positively correlated with poor prognosis(P<0.05).CTLA-4+CD4+and clinical stage had multiplicative and additive interactions on prognosis.Regardless of the clinical stage,CTLA-4+CD4+on the surface of CD4+T cells was significantly positively correlated with poor prognosis.Conclusion:The expression level of CTLA-4+CD4+in patients with advanced breast cancer is significantly elevated,playing a crucial role in the clinical pathological characteristics of breast cancer.An elevated level may indicate a poor prognosis.
7.Adverse reactions of ketogenic diet in treating patients with polycystic ovary syndrome
Mengxiao XIE ; Jian LI ; Wenpei BAI ; Bo JIANG
Journal of Clinical Medicine in Practice 2025;29(10):97-99,105
Objective To observe the occurrence of adverse reactions of ketogenic diet in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS).Methods A total of 75 PCOS patients who started a keto-genic diet and adhered to follow-up from January to December 2023 in Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affilia-ted to Capital Medical University were selected as research objects.The occurrence of adverse reac-tions from the start of the ketogenic diet to 6 months after its completion was followed up.Results Af-ter implementing ketogenic diet intervention,the body weight,body fat percentage,visceral fat area,waist-to-hip ratio,body mass index,and incidence of menstrual disorders in PCOS patients decreased significantly from(84.50±12.85)kg,(41.87±5.25)%,(167.87±39.63)cm2,(0.95±0.04),(31.71±5.29)kg/m2,and 74.67%before intervention to(70.75±10.91)kg,(36.60±4.58)%,(122.78±36.94)cm2,(0.90±0.04),(26.65±4.35)kg/m2,and 21.33%after inter-vention(P<0.05 or P<0.01).The top three adverse reactions were hair loss(25.33%),sleep dis-turbances(16.00%),and weakness,dizziness and fatigue(13.33%).No new adverse reactions such as gallstones,urinary stones,hypoglycemia,or hypoalbuminemia were observed.Conclusion Keto-genic diet therapy for PCOS patients exhibits relatively high safety with no severe adverse reactions,but incidence of hair loss is relatively high.
8.Efficacy and safety of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of postpartum depression: a Meta-analysis
Shuang ZHENG ; Luping YANG ; Binyang HUANG ; Miao CAO ; Mengxiao LI ; Wenjun YANG ; Chunliang GUO ; Rongmei ZHENG ; Yuyang ZHANG ; Hua LI
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(6):568-576
BackgroundPostpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent postpartum complications that significantly compromises women's psychological and physical well-being. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a conventional neuromodulation technique, has been increasingly used in the treatment of PPD. However, high-quality evidence regarding its efficacy and safety remains limited. ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of rTMS in the treatment of PPD, thereby providing references for clinical treatment. MethodsDatabases including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and China Biology Medicine disc (CBM) were electronically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on rTMS for PPD, with the search spanning from database inception to February 8, 2025. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 5.0.1, and the certainty of evidence was graded according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 12.0. The outcomes of the Meta-analysis included the total effective rate, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) score, and adverse reactions (dizziness, headache, nausea, diarrhea, and the overall incidence of adverse reactions). ResultsA total of 11 studies involving 729 patients with PPD were included. Meta-analysis results showed that the total effective rate in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group (OR=5.54, 95% CI: 3.07–10.01, P<0.01). Both EPDS score (SMD=-2.38, 95% CI: -3.39–-1.37, P<0.01) and HAMD score (SMD=2.53, 95% CI: 1.21–3.85, P<0.01) in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences. Comparisons between the study group and control group reveal no significant differences in the incidence of dizziness and headache (RR=1.47, 95% CI: 0.63–3.43, P>0.05), nausea (RR=1.46, 95% CI: 0.55–3.86, P>0.05), diarrhea (RR=0.71, 95% CI: 0.23–2.20, P>0.05), and overall adverse reactions (RR=1.30, 95% CI: 0.79–2.15, P>0.05). GRADE assessment rated the four indicators of dizziness and headache, diarrhea, overall incidence of adverse reactions, and EPDS score as "moderate-certainty evidence", and rated the total effective rate, nausea, and the HAMD score as "low-certainty evidence". ConclusionrTMS demonstrates certain therapeutic efficacy for PPD, with a safety profile comparable to conventional treatment. [Funded by Sichuan Psychological Society Research Planning Project (number, SCSXLXH202403099); Guiding Science and Technology Plan Project of Guangyuan (number, 23ZDYF0095)]
9.Salidroside alleviates PM2.5-induced pulmonary fibrosis through PINK1/Parkin
Ruixi ZHOU ; Wenbo WU ; Limin ZHANG ; Meina WU ; Chen LIU ; Siqi LI ; Xiaohong LI ; Mengxiao LUAN ; Qin WANG ; Li YU ; Yumei LIU ; Wanwei LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(10):1240-1246
Background Existing studies have confirmed that fine particulate matter (PM2.5)is one of the important factors inducing pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is the terminal stage of a major category of lung diseases characterized by the destruction of tissue structure, and eventually leading lung ventilation and ventilation dysfunction. No effective pulmonary fibrosis treatment is available yet. Objective To investigate the protective effect of salidroside on pulmonary fibrosis induced by the exposure of PM2.5 and its molecular mechanism. Methods Seventy 7-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group (intratracheal instillation of normal saline + saline by gavage, n=25), Sal group (intratracheal instillation of normal saline + Sal 60 mg·kg−1 by gavage, n=10), PM2.5 group (intratracheal instillation of PM2.5 5 mg·kg−1 + saline by gavage, n=10), and Sal + PM2.5 group (intratracheal instillation of PM2.5 5 mg·kg−1 +Sal 60 mg·kg−1 by gavage, n=10). The mice were administered by gavage once daily, intratracheal instillation once every 3 d, and every 3 d constituted an experimental cycle. At the end of the 26-30th cycles, 3 mice in the control group and 3 mice in the PM2.5 group were randomly sacrificed, and the lung tissues were collected for Masson staining to verify whether the pulmonary fibrosis model was successfully established. After 30 cycles, the model was successfully constructed. After 1 week of continuous observation, the mice were sacrificed, and the blood and lung tissues of the mice were collected to make lung tissue sections. Assay kits were correspondingly employed to detect oxidative stress indicators such as serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Western blotting was used to detect the expression of fibrosis-related proteins (Collagen-III, α-SMA), mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins (MFN1, Drp1), and mitophagy-related proteins (PINK1, Parkin, and LC3). Results Compared with the control group, the weight gain rate of the PM2.5 group was slowed down (P<0.05), which was alleviated by the Sal intervention (P<0.05). The lung coefficient increased after the PM2.5 exposure (P<0.05), which was alleviated by Sal intervention. Compared with the control group, the PM2.5 group showed severe alveolar structure damage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and blue collagen deposition, and significantly increased the lung injury score, collagen volume fraction (CVF), Szapiel score, and Ashcroft score (P<0.05), as well as serum oxidative stress levels (P<0.05). The protein expression levels of Collagen-III, α-SMA, Drp1, PINK1, Parkin, and LC3 II/I were increased (P<0.05), and the expression of MFN1 was decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the PM2.5 group, the Sal intervention alleviated lung injury, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition, showing decreased lung injury score, CVF, Szapiel score, and Ashcroft score (P<0.05), and decreased serum oxidative stress levels (P<0.05); the protein expression levels of Collagen-III, α-SMA, PINK1, Parkin, and LC3 II/I were decreased (P<0.05), the expression level of Drp1 was decreased, and the expression level of MFN1 was increased. Conclusion In the process of pulmonary fibrosis induced by PM2.5 exposure in mice, Sal may affect mitochondrial autophagy through PINK1/Parkin pathway and play a protective role. The specific mechanism needs to be further verified.
10.Rapid visual detection method for duck astrovirus type 2 based on RPA-CRISPR/Cas13a-LFD
Shuhai HE ; Mengxiao TAO ; Luyao WANG ; Defang ZHOU ; Jing ZHOU ; Ziqiang CHENG ; Li HUANG
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(7):1372-1377
To achieve efficient and rapid detection of duck astrovirus type 2(DAstV-2),RPA prim-ers and crRNA were designed and synthesized based on the conserved sequence of the ORF2 gene of DAstV-2.A detection method for DAstV-2 was constructed,integrating RPA nucleic acid ampli-fication,LwCas13a cleavage,and colloidal gold lateral flow dipstick visualization.The specificity,sensitivity,and concordance of this detection method were evaluated.The experimental results showed that the detection limit for the DAstV-2 recombinant plasmid standard was 1.2×101 cop-ies/μL,which is superior to the conventional RT-PCR method.The method can specifically detect DAstV-2 pathogenic nucleic acids without cross-reactivity with DAstV-1,DAstV-3,DAstV-4,duck plague virus(DEV),and duck tembusu virus(DTMUV).When testing liver tissue samples from ducks suspected of being infected with DAstV-2,the results obtained using this method were com-pletely consistent with those from real-time quantitative PCR,with a 100%concordance rate.How-ever,this method is simpler and faster to perform.The research indicates that the established RPA-CRISPR/Cas13a-LFD detection system has high sensitivity,strong specificity,and high accuracy,capable of completing rapid visual detection of DAstV-2 nucleic acids within 1 h at a constant tem-perature of 37 ℃,providing a new technical platform for the rapid diagnosis of DAstV-2.

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