1.Three-dimensional Electrical Impedance Tomography for Monitoring Gastric Hemorrhage
Zi-Han ZHAO ; Bo SUN ; Jing-Shi HUANG ; Zhi-Wei LI ; Yang WU ; Nan LI ; Jia-Feng YAO ; Tong ZHAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):1062-1075
ObjectiveGastric hemorrhage is one of the most common and life-threatening emergencies of the upper digestive tract. Early identification and continuous monitoring are essential for reducing rebleeding rates and mortality, particularly within the critical early hours after onset. Although endoscopy and radiological imaging can accurately localize bleeding sites, these approaches are invasive, resource-intensive, and unsuitable for continuous bedside monitoring. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT), as a noninvasive and radiation-free functional imaging technique, offers real-time visualization of conductivity distribution and has the potential for detecting intragastric bleeding based on the electrical contrast between blood and surrounding gastric tissues. In this study, a three-dimensional gastric EIT (3D-gEIT) framework is proposed to achieve noninvasive, real-time, and dynamic monitoring of gastric hemorrhage, with emphasis on spatial localization and quantitative volume assessment. MethodsA three-dimensional upper-abdominal simulation model incorporating the stomach, gastric wall, gastric contents, and surrounding tissues was established. Three electrode configurations, namely the dual layer ring, the four layer staggered ring, and the opposed dual plane array, were designed and systematically compared to evaluate their influence on depth sensitivity and spatial resolution. Based on the Tikhonov-Noser hybrid regularization scheme, a region-clustering constraint was introduced to develop the TK-Noser-RCC algorithm. This approach aggregates spatially adjacent elements with similar conductivity variations, thereby enhancing structural continuity and suppressing isolated noise artifacts. To validate the proposed framework, an upper-abdominal physical phantom was constructed using agar to simulate background tissue conductivity. Hemispherical high-conductivity inclusions with volumes ranging from 10 ml to 50 ml were attached to the inner gastric wall to mimic localized bleeding under different gastric filling states. Boundary voltages were acquired under a 120 kHz excitation current and reconstructed using the TK-Noser-RCC algorithm. Furthermore, an in vivo animal experiment was performed using a porcine model with adult-scale abdominal dimensions. A total of 100 ml of autologous blood was injected incrementally into the stomach to simulate progressive gastric hemorrhage, and time-difference EIT reconstruction was conducted at each injection stage to assess the dynamic system response under physiological conditions. ResultsSimulation results demonstrated that the opposed dual-plane electrode array achieved superior depth sensitivity distribution and spatial resolution. For a 40 ml hemorrhage model, the average ICC and SSIM improved by 55.9% and 38.8% compared with the dual-layer ring configuration, and by 64.0% and 39.5% compared with the four-layer staggered configuration. The proposed region-clustering constraint significantly enhanced reconstruction stability. Under added Gaussian noise of 40 dB and 30 dB, ICC values remained approximately 0.85, indicating effective artifact suppression and preservation of boundary integrity. In physical phantom experiments, reconstructed hemorrhage volumes increased approximately linearly with the preset hemispherical volumes, and the reconstructed high-conductivity regions closely matched the actual bleeding locations. Both empty-stomach and full-stomach conditions were evaluated, demonstrating that the opposed dual-plane configuration maintained stable imaging performance across varying gastric contents. In the animal experiment, reconstructed low-impedance regions expanded progressively with increasing injected blood volume. The spatial localization of the hemorrhage remained stable throughout the procedure, and no significant artifacts were observed. Quantitative analysis showed that reconstructed volume and average conductivity variation exhibited an approximately linear growth trend with injected blood volume, confirming the sensitivity of the system to dynamic intragastric conductivity changes. ConclusionThe proposed 3D-gEIT framework enables quantitative reconstruction of gastric hemorrhage volume and spatial distribution with improved depth sensitivity, structural continuity, and noise robustness compared with conventional EIT approaches. By integrating optimized electrode configuration and a region-clustering-constrained reconstruction algorithm, the system provides stable dynamic monitoring under both controlled phantom conditions and in vivo physiological environments. This method offers a noninvasive, real-time, and low-cost imaging strategy for early diagnosis, postoperative monitoring, and bedside surveillance of gastric bleeding.
2.Umbrella decision-making model for diagnosis and treatment of elderly lung cancer patients: Construction and practice
Lunxu LIU ; Jian ZHOU ; Xiang DING ; Nan CHEN ; Jianxin XUE ; Xuelei MA ; Ye WANG ; Weiya WANG ; Liqing PENG ; Xin YOU ; Minggang SU ; Xu CHENG ; Jiao WANG ; Ning GE ; Deying KANG ; Yuchen HUANG ; Jinghan WANG ; Yu TONG ; Yaoxi ZHANG ; Jirong YUE ; Hu LIAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(06):833-839
With the accelerating trend of population aging, the number of elderly patients with lung cancer continues to rise, and the disease burden is becoming increasingly heavy. The clinical management of these patients faces severe challenges due to their decreased physiological reserve, complex comorbidities, and significant individual heterogeneity. Consequently, under traditional diagnosis and treatment models, doctors often struggle to identify the individualized risks of elderly patients in a timely and comprehensive manner, which can easily lead to decision biases such as undertreatment or overtreatment. In view of this, this study advocates for the establishment of an umbrella decision-making model specifically tailored for elderly lung cancer patients. Grounded in a multidisciplinary team (MDT) platform, this model deeply integrates oncological indicators with the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) system. By holistically considering multidimensional variables including tumor burden, organ function, frailty index, cognitive status, and social support, the model establishes an operational mechanism characterized by "single entry, precise stratification, and targeted selection". Accordingly, patients can be scientifically triaged into distinct intervention tiers, such as active surveillance, minimally invasive surgery, drug therapy, radiotherapy, and best supportive care, thereby achieving real-time alignment between treatment intensity and patient fitness. This article elaborates on the construction logic and key operational procedures of this novel decision-making framework, aiming to guide clinical practice beyond the limitations of a tumor-centric perspective toward a holistic, dynamic, whole-course management strategy. This transition seeks to ensure optimal quality of life and clinical net benefit for elderly patients alongside survival prolongation.
3.Evaluation system for standardized surgery in elderly patients with lung cancer
Xingqi MI ; Nan CHEN ; Jiandong MEI ; Hecheng LI ; Shuguang ZHANG ; Huanwen CHEN ; Peng JIAO ; Jun WANG ; Chunfang ZHANG ; Guangjian ZHANG ; Xin LI ; Qiang PU ; Peng LIN ; Lunxu LIU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(06):866-873
To address the growing challenge of an increasing number of elderly lung cancer patients amidst China's aging population and to fill the gap in quality control standards for surgical treatment in this special population, this study aimed to develop a standardized surgical evaluation system for elderly lung cancer patients tailored to China's national conditions. The system was established through a literature review, integrated the pathophysiological characteristics of elderly patients, and was constructed following review, feedback, and revision by experts from multiple thoracic surgery centers. Employing a 100-point scoring system, it comprises three primary domains: physical infrastructure and geriatric adaptability foundational conditions (10 points); management level and perioperative care models (20 points); and technical proficiency and clinical outcomes (70 points). The system places a strong emphasis on geriatric adaptability, proposing specific, quantifiable indicators for age-friendly facility modifications, control of elderly-specific complications, multidisciplinary collaboration, and standardized perioperative management. It provides a convenient and measurable assessment tool for quality control in the surgical treatment of elderly lung cancer in China, which is expected to promote the standardization and homogenization of diagnosis and treatment.
4.Clinical practice guidelines for perioperative multimodality treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.
Wenjie JIAO ; Liang ZHAO ; Jiandong MEI ; Jia ZHONG ; Yongfeng YU ; Nan BI ; Lan ZHANG ; Lvhua WANG ; Xiaolong FU ; Jie WANG ; Shun LU ; Lunxu LIU ; Shugeng GAO
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(21):2702-2721
BACKGROUND:
Lung cancer is currently the most prevalent malignancy and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Although the early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) presents a relatively good prognosis, a considerable number of lung cancer cases are still detected and diagnosed at locally advanced or late stages. Surgical treatment combined with perioperative multimodality treatment is the mainstay of treatment for locally advanced NSCLC and has been shown to improve patient survival. Following the standard methods of neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, postoperative adjuvant therapy, and other therapeutic strategies are important for improving patients' prognosis and quality of life. However, controversies remain over the perioperative management of NSCLC and presently consensus and standardized guidelines are lacking for addressing critical clinical issues in multimodality treatment.
METHODS:
The working group consisted of 125 multidisciplinary experts from thoracic surgery, medical oncology, radiotherapy, epidemiology, and psychology. This guideline was developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The clinical questions were collected and selected based on preliminary open-ended questionnaires and subsequent discussions during the Guideline Working Group meetings. PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for available evidence. The GRADE system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence and grade the strengths of recommendations. Finally, the recommendations were developed through a structured consensus-building process.
RESULTS:
The Guideline Development Group initially collected a total of 62 important clinical questions. After a series of consensus-building conferences, 24 clinical questions were identified and corresponding recommendations were ultimately developed, focusing on neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, adjuvant therapy, postoperative psychological rehabilitation, prognosis assement, and follow-up protocols for NSCLC.
CONCLUSIONS
This guideline puts forward reasonable recommendations focusing on neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, adjuvant therapy, postoperative psychological rehabilitation, prognosis assessment, and follow-up protocol of NSCLC. It standardizes perioperative multimodality treatment and provides guidance for clinical practice among thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiotherapists, aiming to reduce postoperative recurrence, improve patient survival, accelerate recovery, and minimize postoperative complications such as atelectasis.
Humans
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/therapy*
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Lung Neoplasms/therapy*
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Combined Modality Therapy
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Perioperative Care
5.Study on anti-depression effect of Suanzaoren Decoction based on liver metabolomics.
Jing LI ; Ya-Nan TONG ; Hong-Tao WANG ; Shao-Hua ZHAO ; Wei-Yan CHEN ; Zhi-Wei LI ; Min-Yan LIU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(1):19-31
To explore the anti-depression effect of Suanzaoren Decoction(SZRD), the regulatory effects on endogenous metabolites in the liver of rats with depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) were analyzed by using LC-MS metabolomics. The rats were randomly divided into normal control group, model group, low-dose SZRD group, high-dose SZRD group, and positive drug group. The CUMS depression model was replicated by applying a variety of stimuli, such as fasting and water deprivation, ice water swimming, hot water swimming, day and night reversal, tail clamping, and restraint for rats. Modeling and treatment were conducted for 56 days. The behavioral indexes of rats in each group, including body weight, open field test, sucrose preference test, and tail suspension test, were observed. Plasma samples and liver tissue samples were collected, and the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), dopamine(DA), and norepinephrine(NE) in plasma were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Meanwhile, the regulatory effects of SZRD on the liver metabolic profile of CUMS model rats were analyzed by the LC-MS metabolomics method. The results show that SZRD can significantly improve the depression-like behavior of CUMS model rats and increase the neurotransmitter levels of 5-HT, DA, and NE in plasma. A total of 24 different metabolites in the rats' liver are identified using the LC-MS metabolomics method, and SZRD can reverse 13 of these metabolites. Metabolic pathway analysis indicates that nine metabolic pathways are found to be significantly associated with depression, and in the low-dose SZRD group, four pathways can be regulated, including pentose phosphate pathway, purine metabolism, inositol phosphate metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism. In the high-dose SZRD group, two metabolic pathways can be regulated, including sphingolipid metabolism and glycerol glycerophospholipid metabolism. Sphingolipid metabolism is a metabolic pathway that can be regulated by SZRD at different doses, so it is speculated that it may be the primary pathway through which SZRD can alleviate metabolic disturbances in the liver of CUMS model rats.
Animals
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Rats
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Metabolomics
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Depression/metabolism*
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Male
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Liver/drug effects*
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Antidepressive Agents/administration & dosage*
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Serotonin/blood*
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Humans
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Disease Models, Animal
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Behavior, Animal/drug effects*
6.Mechanism of L-perilla alcohol in intervening hypoxic pulmonary hypertension based on network pharmacology and experimental verification.
Yu-Rong WANG ; Yang YU ; Zhuo-Sen LIANG ; Li TONG ; Dian-Xiang LU ; Xing-Mei NAN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(1):209-217
The mechanism of L-perilla alcohol(L-POH) in intervening hypoxic pulmonary hypertension(HPAH) was discussed based on network pharmacology, and experimental verification. The active components and potential targets of the volatile oil of Rhodiola tangutica(VORA) in the intervention of HPAH were screened by network pharmacology. The biological process of Gene Ontology(GO) and the signaling pathway enrichment of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) were analyzed for the core targets, and a "component-common target-disease" network was constructed. Four active components were screened from VORA: L-POH, linalool, geraniol, and(-)-myrtenol. The core targets for treating HPAH were HSP90AA1, AKT1, ESR1, PIK3CA, EP300, EGFR, and JAK2. GO enrichment analysis mainly involved biological processes such as reaction to hypoxia, heme binding, and steroid binding. KEGG enrichment analysis mainly involved hypoxia-inducing factor 1(HIF-1) signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway, and Janus kinase/activator of signal transduction and transcription(JAK/STAT) signaling pathway. The vasodilation effects of the four active components were screened by perfusion experiment of extracorporeal vascular rings, and the mechanism of the main active component L-POH was studied by channel blockers. The inhibitory effects of the four active components on the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells(PASMCs) induced by hypoxia were screened by cell proliferation experiment, and the mechanism of the main active component L-POH was studied by flow cytometry, cell cycle experiment, and Western blot. The results showed that L-POH could directly act on vascular smooth muscle to relax pulmonary arterioles, induce ATP-sensitive potassium channels to open, and inhibit extracellular Ca~(2+) influx through voltage-gated calcium channels to relax blood vessels. In addition, L-POH could inhibit the abnormal proliferation of PASMCs induced by hypoxia and promote its apoptosis, and its mechanism may be related to the increase in Bax protein expression and the decrease in p-JAK2, p-STAT3, Bcl-2, and cyclinA2 protein expression. In summary, L-POH can interfere with HPAH by relaxing pulmonary arterioles and inhibiting the proliferation of smooth muscle cells.
Network Pharmacology
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Animals
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Hypertension, Pulmonary/physiopathology*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Rats
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Hypoxia/metabolism*
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Rhodiola/chemistry*
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
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Humans
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Monoterpenes/chemistry*
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Male
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Cell Proliferation/drug effects*
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
7.Angelicae Dahuricae Radix polysaccharides treat ulcerative colitis in mice by regulating gut microbiota and metabolism.
Feng XU ; Lei ZHU ; Ya-Nan LI ; Cheng CHENG ; Yuan CUI ; Yi-Heng TONG ; Jing-Yi HU ; Hong SHEN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(4):896-907
This study employed 16S r RNA gene high-throughput sequencing and metabolomics to explore the mechanism of Angelicae Dahuricae Radix polysaccharides(RP) in the treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC). A mouse model of UC was induced with 2. 5% dextran sulfate sodium. The therapeutic effects of RP on UC in mice were evaluated based on changes in body weight, disease activity index( DAI), and colon length, as well as pathological changes. RT-qPCR was performed to assess the m RNA levels of interleukin(IL)-6, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, myeloperoxidase(MPO), mucin 2(Muc2), Occludin, Claudin2, and ZO-1 in the mouse colon tissue. ELISA was employed to measure the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α in the colon tissue. The intestinal permeability of mice was evaluated by the fluorescent dye permeability assay. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of Muc2 and occludin in the colon tissue. Changes in gut microbiota and metabolites were analyzed by 16S r RNA sequencing and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry( UPLC-Q-Exactive Plus Orbitrap MS), respectively. The results indicated that low-dose RP alleviated general symptoms, reduced colonic inflammation and intestinal permeability, and promoted Muc2 secretion and tight junction protein expression in UC mice. In addition, low-dose RP increased gut microbiota diversity in UC mice and decreased the relative abundance of harmful bacteria such as Ochrobactrum and Streptococcus. Twenty-seven differential metabolites were identified in feces, and low-dose RP restored the levels of disturbed metabolites. Notably, arginine and proline metabolism were the most significantly altered amino acid metabolic pathways following lowdose RP intervention. In conclusion, RP can ameliorate general symptoms, inhibit colonic inflammation, and maintain intestinal mucosal barrier integrity in UC mice by modulating gut microbiota composition and arginine and proline metabolism.
Animals
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Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects*
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Colitis, Ulcerative/genetics*
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Mice
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Male
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Polysaccharides/administration & dosage*
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Angelica/chemistry*
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Humans
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Colon/metabolism*
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Disease Models, Animal
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Mucin-2/metabolism*
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
8.Study on method of "fraction-spectrum-effect-mechanism" for investigating traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions.
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(3):840-845
Effective prescriptions are treasures of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). To explore these resources and promote the features of TCM treatments, the core question is to investigate bioactive substances and therapeutic mechanisms of TCM prescriptions by modern science and technical methods. Currently, the bottleneck problem of studying TCM prescriptions is that the complicated components of TCM prescriptions hinder investigations on the therapeutic mechanisms of TCM prescriptions. To address this issue, a method of "fraction-spectrum-effect-mechanism" was proposed based on the essence, attribute, and characteristics of actions of TCM prescriptions, as well as the merits of currently available methods of chemical and pharmacodynamic studies of TCM prescription. The whole prescriptions were chosen as study objects. The bioactive substances and therapeutic mechanisms of TCM prescriptions were investigated by the systematical category of major constituents of TCM prescriptions. This method reflected the essence, attributes, and characteristics of actions of TCM prescriptions and showed comprehensiveness in theory. It also demonstrated feasibility in practices by using the molecular characteristics, physical and chemical properties, and separation methods of components of TCM prescriptions. This method provides a novel way to study TCM prescriptions, which could assist in studying on modern scientific connotation of TCM prescriptions and developing new drugs from effective TCM prescriptions.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
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Humans
;
Drug Prescriptions
9.Pharmacological effect and mechanism of tannic acids in Paeoniae Radix Alba.
Jia-Xin DIAO ; Qi-Tong ZHENG ; Meng-Yao CHEN ; Jiang-Chuan HONG ; Min HAO ; Qing-Mei FENG ; Jun-Qi HU ; Xia-Nan SANG ; Gang CAO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(6):1471-1483
The chemical composition of Paeoniae Radix Alba(PRA) is complex, with primary secondary metabolites including monoterpenoids, tannins, triterpenoids, and flavonoids. In previous studies on the material basis of PRA, it was found that, in addition to the widely studied characteristic monoterpene glycosides, tannic acid components also play an important role in the efficacy of PRA. However, their pharmacological effects have not been thoroughly investigated. This paper reviews the tannic acid components in PRA, including pentagaloyl glucose(PGG), tetragaloyl glucose(TGG), trigaloyl glucose(TriGG), and gallic acid, along with their structures, properties, and characteristics to provide a detailed discussion of their pharmacological activities and related mechanisms, aiming to offer a theoretical basis for the material basis research and clinical application of PRA.
Paeonia/chemistry*
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Tannins/chemistry*
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Humans
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
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Animals
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Plant Extracts
10.Construction of core outcome set for clinical research on traditional Chinese medicine treatment of simple obesity.
Tong-Tong WU ; Yan YU ; Qian HUANG ; Xue-Yin CHEN ; Fu-Ming-Xiang LIU ; Li-Hong YANG ; Chang-Cai XIE ; Shao-Nan LIU ; Yu CHEN ; Xin-Feng GUO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(12):3423-3430
Following the core outcome set standards for development(COS-STAD), this study aims to construct core outcome set(COS) for clinical research on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of simple obesity. Firstly, a comprehensive review was conducted on the randomized controlled trial(RCT) and systematic review(SR) about TCM treatment of simple obesity that were published in Chinese and English databases to collect reported outcomes. Additional outcomes were obtained through semi-structured interviews with patients and open-ended questionnaire surveys for clinicians. All the collected outcomes were then merged and organized as an initial outcome pool, and then a preliminary list of outcomes was formed after discussion by the working group. Subsequently, two rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted with clinicians, methodology experts, and patients to score the importance of outcomes in the list. Finally, a consensus meeting was held to establish the COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. A total of 221 RCTs and 12 SRs were included, and after integration of supplementary outcomes, an initial outcome pool of 141 outcomes were formed. Following discussions in the steering advisory group meeting, a preliminary list of 33 outcomes was finalized, encompassing 9 domains. Through two rounds of Delphi surveys and a consensus meeting, the final COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity was determined to include 8 outcomes: TCM symptom scores, body mass index(BMI), waist-hip ratio, waist circumference, visceral fat index, body fat rate, quality of life, and safety, which were classified into 4 domains: TCM-related outcomes, anthropometric measurements, quality of life, and safety. This study has preliminarily established a COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. It helps reduce the heterogeneity in the selection and reporting of outcomes in similar clinical studies, thereby improving the comparability of research results and the feasibility of meta-analysis and providing higher-level evidence support for clinical practice.
Humans
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Obesity/therapy*
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

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