1.Herbal Textual Research on Bambusae Succus in Famous Classical Formulas
Yu SHI ; Feng ZHOU ; Yihan WANG ; Yanmeng LIU ; Ming YANG ; Zhiping CHEN ; Jiangshan ZHANG ; Conglong XU ; Zhilai ZHAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(9):231-239
This article systematically reviews and examines the historical evolution of Bambusae Succus as a medicinal material, covering aspects such as nomenclature, origin, geographical distribution, harvesting and processing methods, quality assessment, therapeutic effects and indications, by consulting ancient herbal texts, medical compendia, and modern literature. The aim is to provide a reference for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. Research indicated that Bambusae Succus was first documented in the Shennong Bencaojing during the Han dynasty, with Zhuli being the standard name used throughout history, alongside aliases like Zhuzhi, Zhuyou and Huoquan. Historically, the primary source of Bambusae Succus has been Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis(Danzhu), although other species such as Pleioblastus amarus and Bambusa emeiensis have also been used medicinally. Ancient records predominantly noted its origin in Yizhou(present-day Chengdu and surrounding areas in Sichuan) and the Wuling region(between present-day Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Jiangxi provinces), while contemporary sources are mainly from regions south of the Yangtze River and southwestern China. Traditionally, Bambusae Succus was harvested from bamboo that had grown for exactly one year, today, it can be collected year-round without strict age requirements. Ancient preparation methods included direct fire roasting or dry distillation, whereas modern industrial production employs dry distillation, reflux extraction, and percolation. In terms of quality evaluation, ancient texts considered a sweet taste to be superior, while today, clarity and transparency are prioritized. Historically, Bambusae Succus was characterized as sweet and cold nature, targeting the lung and stomach meridians, with uses evolving from clearing heat and resolving phlegm to nourishing Yin, moistening dryness, and relaxing tendons and unblocking meridians. Modern descriptions classify it as sweet, bitter, and cold in nature, affecting the heart, liver, and lung meridians, with functions including clearing heat, resolving phlegm, and facilitating orifices. It is indicated for conditions such as stroke with phlegm confusion, lung heat with phlegm congestion, convulsions, epilepsy, excessive phlegm in febrile diseases, high fever with thirst, irritability during pregnancy, and tetanus, with more clearly defined applications. Based on the results of the research, it is recommended that when developing and utilizing famous classical formulas containing Bambusae Succus, the one-year-old Phyllostachys nigra var. Henonis, which has been highly praised throughout history, should be selected as the source material. Industrial production should adopt the dry distillation method. Furthermore, in-depth research should be conducted on the modern technological characterization of the traditional quality control indicator of sweet taste, and reasonable modern quality control standards should be established.
2.Pinelliae Rhizoma and Its Prescription Compatibility for Depression Treatment: A Review
Zhe XIE ; Yifan SHI ; Linzhe SU ; Ming BAI ; Yucheng LI ; Baoying WANG ; Erping XU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(9):284-293
Depression is a common mental disorder that falls under the category of "stagnation syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Its complex pathogenesis poses challenges for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Currently, clinically used antidepressants are often accompanied by significant side effects, and statistics show that about one-third of patients do not respond to these medications. TCM demonstrates advantages in the treatment of depression through multi-target, multi-pathway and multi-mechanistic approaches. Pinelliae Rhizoma, a phlegm-resolving herb, exhibits effects such as drying dampness and resolving phlegm, as well as eliminating stuffiness and reducing masses. The characteristics of harmonizing Yin and Yang and resolving stagnation in the middle energizer align precisely with the pathogenesis of depression syndrome, demonstrating therapeutic efficacy in affected patients. Literature studies have found that the active ingredients of Pinelliae Rhizoma, such as cavidine, baicalein, β-sitosterol, as well as Pinelliae Rhizoma herb pairs, such as Pinelliae Rhizoma-Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, Pinelliae Rhizoma-husked sorghum, Pinelliae Rhizoma-Prunellae Spica, exhibit significant antidepressant effects. Furthermore, TCM formulas containing Pinelliae Rhizoma as the principal therapeutic agent, such as Banxia Xiexin Tang, Banxia Houpo Tang, and Wendan Tang, as well as formulas incorporating Pinelliae Rhizoma like compound Xiaochaihu Tang, Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Tang, and Erchen Tang, have also demonstrated favorable antidepressant efficacy. The antidepressant mechanism of these agents may involve modulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) levels, up-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, reduction of oxidative stress, modulation of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, and inhibition of microglia-mediated inflammatory responses. This review summarized the antidepressant mechanisms and clinical applications of the active components, herb pairs, and TCM formulas containing Pinelliae Rhizoma, aiming to provide a reference for modern research on the use of Pinelliae Rhizoma in antidepressant therapy.
3.Treatment Modalities and Long-Term Outcomes in Unruptured Vertebrobasilar Fusiform Aneurysms: A Nationwide Observational Cohort Study
Linggen DONG ; Dachao WEI ; Xiheng CHEN ; Mingtao LI ; Yang ZHAO ; Yong SUN ; Qingbin NIE ; Jun FENG ; Guomin XIAO ; Jinghua ZHOU ; Shengli HU ; Lifei FENG ; Lifeng QI ; Hongen LIU ; Geng GUO ; Yufang LI ; Renfu TIAN ; Jianghua YU ; Dianshi JIN ; Liang HAO ; Tian TIAN ; Shizhong ZHANG ; Yang WANG ; Liping LIU ; Ming LV
Journal of Stroke 2026;28(2):250-262
Background:
and Purpose Vertebrobasilar fusiform aneurysms (VBFAs) carry substantial morbidity and mortality, but optimal management for unruptured VBFAs remains unclear. We compared the safety and efficacy of conservative management (CM), stent-assisted coiling (SAC), and flow diverters (FDs) in patients with unruptured VBFAs, focusing on long-term prognosis.
Methods:
This study included data from a nationwide Chinese cohort of patients with vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) balanced confounders across groups. The primary outcome was poor prognosis (modified Rankin Scale score >2). Secondary outcomes included aneurysm rupture, ischemic stroke, compression symptoms, and VBFA-related deaths. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed.
Results:
Among 1,115 patients with unruptured VBFAs, 838 (median age, 54 years; 655 men) were included. After IPTW, baseline characteristics were balanced. Median follow-up was 54 months. FD was associated with a lower risk of poor prognosis than CM (OR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.30 to 0.77]; p=0.002), with no difference between CM and SAC. FD also reduced aneurysm rupture (OR, 0.20 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.60]; p=0.004) and compression symptoms (OR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.13 to 0.68]; p=0.004) versus CM. Time-to-event analyses further revealed significant differences in vertebral artery lesions and Type I–II VBFAs, whereas no significant differences were observed in basilar or vertebrobasilar junction lesions or in Type III–IV VBFAs.
Conclusions
Compared with CM, FD was associated with improved long-term outcomes in unruptured VBFAs, particularly in vertebral artery lesions and Type I–II VBFAs, although residual confounding cannot be excluded.
4.Early Enrollment in Diabetes Pay-for-Performance Program Reduced Loss of Life Expectancy in Newly-Diagnosed Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes Metab J 2025;49:1051-63)
Yu-Ching CHEN ; Wei-Ming WANG ; Boniface J. LIN ; Jung-Der WANG ; Li-Jung Elizabeth KU
Diabetes & Metabolism Journal 2026;50(1):205-207
5.Resistance of Aedes albopictus to common insecticides in Zhejiang Province, 2024
Qin-mei LIU ; Jin-na WANG ; Tian-qi LI ; Ming-yu LUO ; Zhou GUAN ; Zhen-yu GONG ; Ji-min SUN
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(2):96-100
Objective In order to understand the current resistance status of Aedes albopictus(Ae. albopictus) adult population to commonly used insecticides and the resistance dynamics development in Zhejiang Province and provide a theoretical basis for the scientific and rational use of hygienic insecticides. Methods Resistance determination was carried out using the diagnostic dose method(GB/T 26347-2010)recommended by WHO in the adult mosquito contact cylinder method to monitor the resistance of Ae. albopictus field populations in 11 cities and districts in Zhejiang Province in 2024. Results The monitoring result showed that adult Ae. albopictus in 11 areas were resistant or suspected resistant populations to both cis-cypermethrin and permethrin; suspected and resistant populations to the organophosphate insecticide malathion were as high as 81.82%; while suspected resistance to the carbamate insecticide residual carbofuran accounted for 45.45%, and the rest of the monitoring sites were sensitive to it. Conclusions The result suggest that the generalized resistance of Ae. albopictus populations to pyrethroids and organophosphorus insecticides in the field in Zhejiang Province needs to be highly emphasized. In future mosquito vector and mosquito-borne disease control, insecticides should be selected based on the resistance monitoring information, while following scientific guidelines for insecticide use.
6.Differences in deltamethrin resistance and kdr gene mutation in Culex tritaeniorhynchus population in and outside the Yellow Sea wetland
Xiao-er ZHANG ; Zhi-ming WU ; Ye TIAN ; Qian CUI ; Yu-qian JI ; Huan WANG ; Shu-juan YANG ; Yi-chao ZHAO ; Yu WANG ; Hua-yu YIN ; Yu DING ; Guo-jin YAN ; Min-sen ZHAO ; Shou-gang ZHANG ; Bing-dong SONG ; Hong-na CHEN ; Jian GAO ; Wei-fang YANG ; Yu-fu ZHANG ; Hui LIU ; Hong-liang CHU
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(2):101-107
Objective To gain insights into the biological characteristics of different populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus within and around the Yellow Sea wetland from the perspective of the occurrence of resistance, we investigated the levels of resistance to deltamethrin and kdr gene mutation in the wetland and its peripheral areas. Methods Specimens were collected from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations at two monitoring sites in the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area, and also from two populations in Yancheng City and the Liuhe District of Nanjing, and the resistance of these mosquitoes to deltamethrin was determined using the CDC biotest bottle method. For each concentration of deltamethrin assessed, a random subset of exposed specimens was selected for amplification of the kdr gene fragment, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify and analyze resistance-associated mutations. Results The LC50 levels of deltamethrin among mosquitoes from the four populations in Luhe, Yancheng, the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and the Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area were 2.048 5, 7.798 2, 3.473 3, and 17.695 5 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding concentrations of deltamethrin ranging from 0.005 to 5.000,0.050 to 50.000,0.050 to 25.000 and 0.050 to 50.000 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ranges of the KT50 values were 11.76-107.43, 67.05-216.30,29.77-107.43 and 28.40-329.51 min; the 1-h knockdown rates were 34.58%-99.15%, 9.52%-43.80%, 55.09%-73.01%, and 10.09%-68.07%; and the 24-h mortality rates were 12.15%-67.52%,9.52%-79.56%,13.17%-82.21%, and 11.01%-78.99%, respectively. With respect to kdr gene mutation, we assayed a total of 63,70,59, and 57 mosquitoes for the four populations, for which we detected L1014F mutation frequencies of 14.29%, 35.00%, 20.34%, and 31.58%, respectively, with a majority of these mutations being heterozygous for resistance. In addition, five adult mosquitoes were identified has having synonymous mutations at site 1011[i. e. , AAT(asparagine)mutation to AAC(asparagine)]. Conclusions Our findings revealed the clear resistance of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus to deltamethrin in the Yancheng region of the Yellow Sea wetland, and the resistance phenotype and kdr frequency of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment were comparable to those of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment, thereby indicating that the resistance of different populations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was homogeneous under the pressure of different insecticide selection within and around the wetland. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.
7.The Neural Circuit Characteristics of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Over The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex for The Treatment of Migraine
Chen-Xia JIN ; Bo-Lin TAN ; Yang YE ; Ji-Qing HE ; Ling-Yan WANG ; Zhong-Ming GAO ; Yu-Jun WANG ; Hui-Li LIU ; Yong-Xing YAN ; Xian-Wei CHE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(7):1953-1968
ObjectiveMigraine is a leading neurological disorder and the fourth most common cause of years lived with disability worldwide, affecting nearly 116 million individuals. Although pharmacological treatments are available, their efficacy is often limited by side effects and variable response rates. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) offers a safe, non-invasive alternative for migraine management. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms, particularly how rTMS modulates local cortical excitability and distributed pain-related circuits, remain poorly understood. Elucidating these mechanisms is essential for optimizing treatment protocols and improving clinical outcomes. MethodsThis study employed concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) to investigate neuroplastic and neurocircuitry mechanisms of DLPFC-rTMS in migraine. Study 1 compared 30 migraineurs and 28 healthy controls to identify abnormalities in TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) and significant current density (SCD) within sensory-discriminative regions including the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and posterior insula (pINS), cognitive-affective regions including the anterior insula (aINS) and midcingulate cortex (MCC), and a descending modulatory region, the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Study 2 used a single-blind, crossover, sham-controlled design in 34 healthy participants. Each participant received both active (10 Hz, 80% RMT, 1 500 pulses) and sham DLPFC-rTMS in counterbalanced order. TMS-EEG and cold pain tolerance were assessed before and after each session. ResultsIn Study 1, migraineurs showed a significantly less negative N120 amplitude compared to healthy controls (P=0.027, Cohen’s d=0.60), indicating local intracortical disinhibition. No group differences were observed for N40, P60, or P180 components. At the source level, migraineurs exhibited significantly higher SCD in the S1, pINS, aINS, and MCC (allQ<0.05), but not in the ventroposterior thalamus (vpTHAL), mediodorsal thalamus (mdTHAL), or PAG. In Study 2, active rTMS significantly reduced SCD from pre- to post-stimulation in the S1, aINS, and MCC (all Q<0.05). Sham stimulation also reduced SCD in the S1 (Q<0.05) but not in the aINS or MCC. Although no significant group-level analgesic effect was observed between active and sham conditions (P=0.107), correlation analyses revealed that greater SCD reductions in the S1 and MCC were significantly associated with higher post-rTMS pain tolerance (R=-0.487 and -0.495, both Q<0.01) and larger improvements in pain tolerance(R=-0.487 and -0.451, both Q<0.05). No such correlations were found following sham stimulation, suggesting that the behavioural relevance of neural changes is specific to active rTMS. ConclusionThis study provides novel evidence that migraineurs exhibit both local neuroplastic abnormalities (reduced N120 amplitude) and hyperactivity in key pain-processing regions (S1, pINS, aINS, MCC). A single session of DLPFC-rTMS reduced hyperactivity in the aINS, MCC, and S1. Notably, greater reductions in the S1 and MCC were associated with improved pain tolerance. These findings identify distinct cortical circuitries, particularly within the cognitive-affective pain network, that may serve as potential biomarkers for optimizing rTMS treatment in migraine and other chronic pain conditions. Future studies should validate these results in patient populations experiencing spontaneous migraine attacks and explore multi-session or accelerated rTMS protocols.
8.Bioengineered miR-148a-3p suppresses glycolysis and amino acid homeostasis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by regulating multiple solute carrier transporters
Su Guan ; Xin Li ; Yimei Wang ; Mei-Juan Tu ; Ai-Ming Yu
Liver Research 2026;10(2):166-176
Background and aims
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are metabolically reprogrammed for excessive uptake and metabolism of many nutrients. The tumor suppressive microRNA-148a-3p (miR-148a-3p) is downregulated in HCC, whereas its function in regulating HCC cell metabolism remains obscure. Herein we aimed to delineate the role of miR-148a-3p in HCC cell metabolism by using novel bioengineered miR-148a-3p (BioRNALeu/miR-148a-3p) agent produced in vivo.
Methods
BioRNALeu/miR-148a-3p was designed by using human leucyl transfer RNA fused hsa-pre-miR-34a carrier, overexpressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli), and purified to high homogeneity. After transfection into HCC cells, the released miR-148a-3p levels were assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell proliferation was determined by CellTiter-Glo assays. Targets were validated by dual-luciferase reporter assays, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence confocal imaging. Glycolysis capacity was evaluated by Seahorse XF assays, and glucose, lactate, and amino acid levels were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods.
Results
BioRNALeu/miR-148a-3p was efficiently processed into target miR-148a-3p in HCC cells to effectively inhibit cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Mechanistically, miR-148a-3p suppressed the protein levels of glucose transporter GLUT1/SLC2A1 and L-type amino acid transporter LAT1/SLC7A5 via acting on their 3′-untranslated regions, as well as amino acid transporter ASCT2/SLC1A5. These, in turn, led to a reduction of glucose uptake, lactate production, and glycolytic flux in HCC cells, and alteration of intracellular amino acid metabolome including glutamine, leucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and methionine.
Conclusions
Reintroduction of miR-148a-3p into HCC cells modulates glucose and amino acid metabolism via regulating multiple SLC transporters, thereby suppressing HCC cell viability. These findings highlight the role of miR-148a-3p in HCC cell metabolism and potential of bioengineered miRNA molecules for functional studies and therapeutic development.
9.Self-Supervised Multi-Organ Segmentation in Pediatric Abdominal CT Based on Vision Foundation Models
Qinghua ZHANG ; Ming LI ; Zhedian ZHOU ; Jian ZHENG ; Huadan XUE ; Qiuxia WANG ; Yu DU ; Zhen LI
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(4):954-962
To address the scarcity of annotated data for pediatric abdominal CT imaging and the insufficient generalization capability of existing models, we constructed a self-supervised pretraining architecture tailored for pediatric CT domain adaptation based on the visual foundation model DINOv3, and validated its performance in the task of pediatric abdominal multi-organ segmentation. We built a general-purpose radiological visual representation using the large-scale adult CT dataset CT-3M, and introduced a Gram-anchoring mechanism that employs a frozen adult pretrained model as a structural teacher to guide domain alignment of local topological structures on unlabeled pediatric CT data. Combined with a multi-scale feature aggregation strategy and a lightweight Primus decoder, downstream segmentation tasks were evaluated on a public pediatric CT dataset. Based on case-wise paired results, we compared the mean Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and mean intersection over union (IoU) between our model and the baseline nnU-Net using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and computed the relative performance improvements. A total of 867 abdominal CT imaging cases were collected, constituting a pretraining dataset comprising 367 588 two-dimensional CT slices. On the public Pediatric-CT-SEG dataset (359 cases), our model achieved a mean DSC of (71.38±1.08)% and a mean IoU of (63.73±1.01)%, representing improvements of 3.22% and 3.59% over the baseline nnU-Net, respectively, with statistically significant differences ( The self-supervised pretraining framework proposed in this study effectively alleviates the domain shift between adult and pediatric abdominal CT images, significantly enhances segmentation accuracy for pediatric abdominal multi-organs-particularly small organs and structures with complex boundaries-and provides a reliable technical solution for intelligent pediatric imaging analysis in scenarios with limited annotated data.
10.Modern Clinical Application and Mechanism of Action of Sanhuang Xiexintang: A Review
Zhiyi WANG ; Wenlong YANG ; Ming BAI ; Zibo LI ; Erping XU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(18):237-247
Sanhuang Xiexintang (SHXXT), originating from the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber (Jin Gui Yao Lue), comprises three medicinal herbs: Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Coptidis Rhizoma, and Scutellariae Radix. Renowned for its effects of purging fire, detoxifying, drying dampness, and draining heat, SHXXT primarily treats syndromes characterized by internal excess heat, dampness-heat stagnation, and reckless blood movement due to heat. Because of the concise formulation and remarkable efficacy of this formula, modern research has extensively explored the chemical composition, clinical applications, and pharmacological mechanisms of SHXXT, yielding significant advancements. As a modern derivative of SHXXT, Yiqing granules exemplify the transformation of classical formulas into convenient and precise applications, embodying the paradigm of modern development of classical formulas. This systematic review synthesizes recent research progress in SHXXT. Chemical analyses reveal that the active components—anthraquinones, alkaloids, and flavonoids—of SHXXT exert holistic therapeutic effects through multi-component synergy. Clinical studies demonstrate broad utility of this formula in managing digestive disorders, endocrine diseases, urinary tract infections, dermatological conditions, and systemic inflammatory diseases, highlighting its multi-system regulatory potential. Mechanism investigations elucidate its multi-target mechanism of action, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, metabolic-regulatory, hepatoprotective, and gastrointestinal-modulating effects, reflecting an integrated multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway mode of action. This review systematically summarizes the modern research progress in SHXXT, providing a theoretical foundation for deciphering the scientific essence of classical formulas and advancing their precision application in clinical practice.


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