1.Study on Compatibility and Efficacy of Blood-activating Herb Pairs Based on Graph Convolution Network
Jingai WANG ; Qikai NIU ; Wenjing ZONG ; Ziling ZENG ; Siwei TIAN ; Siqi ZHANG ; Yuwen ZHAO ; Huamin ZHANG ; Bingjie HUO ; Bing LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):228-234
ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a prediction model for the compatibility of Chinese medicinal pairs based on Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN), named HC-GCN. The model integrates the properties of herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms to predict pairs with specific therapeutic effects. It serves as a demonstration by applying the model to predict and validate the efficacy of blood-activating herb pairs. MethodsThe training dataset for herb pair prediction was constructed by systematically collecting commonly used herb pairs along with their characteristic data, including Qi, flavor, meridian tropism, and target genes. Integrating traditional characteristics of herb with modern bioinformatics, we developed an efficacy-oriented herb pair compatibility prediction model (HC-GCN) using graph convolutional networks (GCN). This model leverages machine learning to capture the complex relationships in herb pair compatibility, weighted by efficacy features. The performance of the HC-GCN model was evaluated using accuracy (ACC), recall, precision, F1 score (F1), and area under the ROC curve (AUC). Its predictive effectiveness was then compared to five other machine learning models: eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), logistic regression (LR), Naive Bayes, K-nearest neighbor (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM). ResultsUsing herb pairs with blood-activating effects as a demonstration, a prediction model was constructed based on a foundational dataset of 46 blood-activating herb pairs, incorporating their Qi, flavor, meridian tropism, and target gene characteristics. The HC-GCN model outperforms other commonly used machine learning models in key performance metrics, including ACC, recall, precision, F1 score, and AUC. Through the predictive analysis of the HC-GCN model, 60 herb pairs with blood-activating effects were successfully identified. Among of these potential herb pairs, 44 include at least one herb with blood-activating effects. ConclusionIn this study, we established an efficacy-oriented compatibility prediction model for herb pairs based on GCN by integrating the unique characteristics of traditional herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms. This model demonstrated high predictive performance, offering a novel approach for the intelligent screening and optimization of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, as well as their clinical applications.
2.Alvianolic acid B exerts a protective effect on random skin flaps through autophagy mediated by activation of TFE3
Zhong-Bing HAN ; Hui-Wen YANG ; Hai-Zhou NIU ; Kuan-Kuan ZHANG ; Yang-Yang LIU ; Pan-Pan XU ; Ling-Ti KONG ; Chang-Chun ZHANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(10):1912-1920
Aim To observe the role of salvianolic acid B(Sal B)in enhancing the survival of random skin flaps and to preliminarily explore its potential mecha-nisms.Methods The appearance,degree of edema,color and hair condition of the skin flap were evaluated seven days after operation.The vascular network and blood flow of random flaps were measured by laser Doppler flow measurement.HE staining was used to detect the growth of microvessels in random flaps.The expressions of VEGF and CD34 were detected by im-munohistochemistry,the expressions of RIPK1,2 and LC3 Ⅱ were detected by immunofluorescence,and the effects of autophagy related proteins and signaling path-ways were detected by Western blot.Results The ex-perimental results showed that Sal B induced autophagy in the random skin flaps,promoted angiogenesis,and reduced oxidative stress and necrotic apoptosis,signifi-cantly increasing the survival rate of the flaps.Immu-nohistochemistry,immunofluorescence staining,and Western blot confirmed that Sal B induced autophagy in the random skin flaps by activating TFE3 protein.Conclusion Sal B can promote autophagy in cells of random skin flaps and reduce their necrotic apoptosis by activating TFE3 protein.
3.Clinical Features and Prognosis of Patients with Primary Extranodal Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Si YI ; Xia LI ; Huan TAO ; Hong-Bing MA ; Jie JI ; Yu WU ; Ting NIU ; Yong-Qian JIA
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2024;32(6):1711-1718
Objective:To investigate the clinical features,gene mutation profile,efficacy and prognostic factors of primary extranodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(EN-DLBCL).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for 382 patients with primary EN-DLBCL with complete clinical data who were treated in West China Hospital from January 2013 to January 2023,and their clinical characteristics,gene mutation profile,efficacy and prognostic factors were analyzed.Results:The median age of the 382 patients with EN-DLBCL was 56 (18-89 )years old.The male-to-female ratio was 1.12∶1,and the most common primary sites were gastrointestinal tract (31.7%),Wechsler ring (19. 1%)and breast gland (7.1%).A total of 51 gene mutations were fund,and the most common frequencies of gene mutations were TP53 (32.5%),MYD88 (32.5%),and CD79B (30.0%).The median follow-up was 63 months,and the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS)rate was 74.5% and the 5-year overall survival (OS)rate was 89.6%. The adverse factors on PFS were as follows:>1 extranodal sites involvement (P<0.001),P53≥50%(P<0.001),hyper double expression(hDEL)of C-myc>50%/Bcl-2>70%(P<0.001).The adverse factors affecting the OS of patients were as follows:>1 extranodal sites involvement (P<0.001),P53≥50%(P<0.001),hDEL(P<0.001). Chemotherapy combined with local radiotherapy could improve PFS (P=0.041)and OS (P=0.003),while R-CHOP+X (molecule agents as BTKi、HDACi、Lenalidomide)failed to show a significant difference in PFS (P=0.075)and OS (P=0.767 ).Among the 40 patients who underwent next-generation sequencing at high risk,there was no significant in PFS (P=0.849)and OS (P=0.500)of patients with positive MYD88 and/or CD79B mutations (MCD subtype)treated with BTKi and patients with negative MYD88 and CD79B mutations.Conclusion:Primary EN-DLBCL can involve multiple organs or tissue sites.TP53,MYD88,and CD79B are the most common gene mutations.The efficacy of BTKi in patients with positive MCD subtypes at intermediate and high risk is not inferior to that in MCD-negative control patients.
4.Causes of missed diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer by targeted biopsy
He-Song JIANG ; Shan ZHOU ; Xiao-Bing NIU ; Lu JI
National Journal of Andrology 2024;30(4):315-320
Objective:To retrospectively analyze the causes of missed diagnosis of clinically significant PCa(csPCa)by targe-ted biopsy(TB).Methods:This retrospective study included 652 males aged(71.32±16.53)years with elevated PSA and ab-normal MRI signals detected in our hospital from June 2018 to December 2020.We further examined the patients by transperineal pros-tatic TB and systematic biopsy(SB),analyzed the detection rates of PCa and csPCa by TB and SB,and investigated the causes of missed diagnosis of csPCa in TB using the fishbone diagram.Results:The total detection rate of PCa and csPCa by TB combined with SB was 45.7%(298/652),and that of csPCa was 37.4%(244/652),with 38 cases of csPCa missed in TB,including 23 cases of negative TB and 15 cases of low ISUP grade.The causes of missed diagnosis of csPCa by TB included low MRI image quality,PSA density≤0.15 ng/ml/cm3,target area<10 mm,and PI-RADS 2 score≤3.The detection rate of csPCa by TB alone was 31.6%,which was increased by 5.8%(P=0.027)when TB combined with SB.Conclusion:TB combined with SB yields a higher de-tection rate of csPCa than either used alone.Missed diagnosis of csPCa by TB is closely related to the characteristics of tumor and MR image of the target area.
5.QU-Net application in retinal vessel segmentation based on hypercomplex numbers and U-Net
Bing LI ; Jie ZHANG ; Yanyu SHANGGUAN ; Qing JIANG ; Yunli NIU ; Yanlong BI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Ophthalmology 2024;42(12):1090-1099
Objective:To develop a U-Net-based quadruple numerical neural network (QU-Net) model for retinal vessel segmentation and to verify its precision and efficiency in extracting and segmenting retinal vessels from fundus images.Methods:This study used the concept of hypercomplex numbers, the three channels of color images, and a quaternion matrix representing all the information data of the images, which was then used as input for quaternion convolution and quaternion fully connected layers based on the U-Net architecture to form a QU-Net model.The QU-Net model was first tested on the DRIVE, STARE, and CHASE_DB1 datasets and compared with the traditional real-valued U-Net, M-Net, and SU-Net models in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, F1 score, and Matthews correlation coefficient.Finally, the model was further optimized and the optimized QU-Net model was compared side-by-side with the well-known advanced models to comprehensively evaluate and analyze the efficiency and accuracy of the model in extracting and segmenting retinal blood vessels from fundus images.Results:The results showed that the QU-Net model achieved the following vessel segmentation results: accuracy 0.956 6, sensitivity 0.700 8, specificity 0.987 9, precision 0.595 4 on the DRIVE dataset, accuracy 0.975 5, sensitivity 0.890 7, specificity 0.984 2, precision 0.662 5 on the STARE dataset, and accuracy 0.979 4, sensitivity 0.747 0, specificity 0.990 6, precision 0.596 9 on the CHASE_DB1 dataset.Its specificity was better than U-Net, M-Net and SU-Net models, and its accuracy, sensitivity and precision were not inferior to the three models.After optimization, the sensitivity, precision and F1 value of the QU-Net model were effectively improved on the three datasets while maintaining its original accuracy and specificity.When compared with the performance indicators of other models on the three datasets, it was found that the optimized QU-Net model had good performance in accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, precision, and F1 score, indicating that its vessel segmentation ability was not inferior to the advanced models.Among all the models compared, the optimized QU-Net model had the best F1 score and Matthews correlation coefficient.Conclusions:The QU-Net model proposed in this study expands the data dimension space from the traditional real number space to the complex number space and greatly reduces the loss of data information.The optimized QU-Net model has good efficiency and accuracy in extracting retinal vessel segmentation from fundus images, and has certain advantages in detecting fine vessels.
6.Analysis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease differences from metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease based on clinical features
Yunxiao LIU ; Feng GUO ; Lina NIU ; Bing ZHANG ; Jing DOU ; Qiang XU ; Zhonghui NING ; Xiaozhong WANG
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2024;32(4):346-353
Objective:To explore the clinical features of fatty liver disease (FLD) from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), so as to elucidate its clinical application value under three renames.Methods:Patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Hepatology, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, from January 2020 to September 2023 and met the diagnosis of NAFLD, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), or MASLD were selected as the research subjects. The clinical indicators differences among the three groups of patients were compared, mainly including general information (age, gender, body mass index, past history, etc.), serological indicators (liver and kidney function, blood lipids, blood sugar, coagulation function, etc.), non-invasive liver fibrosis indicators, fat attenuation parameters, etc. Measurement data were analyzed using ANOVA and the rank sum test, while count data were analyzed using the χ2 test. Results:NAFLD, MAFLD, and MASLD prevalence rates among 536 cases were 64.0%, 93.7%, and 100%, respectively. 318 cases (59.3%) met the three fatty liver names at the same time among them. Male population proportions in NAFLD, MAFLD, and MASLD were 30.9%, 55.8%, and 53.9%, respectively. The alcohol consumption history proportion was 0, 36.7%, and 36.0%, respectively. The smoking history proportion was 7.0%, 31.9%, and 30.6%, respectively. The body mass index was (27.66 ± 3.97), (28.33 ± 3.63), and (27.90 ± 3.89) kg/m 2, respectively. The γ-glutamyltransferase levels were 26.6 (18.0, 47.0) U/L, 31.0 (20.0, 53.0) U/L, and 30.8 (19.8, 30.8) U/L, respectively. The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were 1.07 (0.90, 1.23) mmol/L, 1.02 (0.86, 1.19) mmol/L, and 1.03 (0.87,1.21) mmol/L, respectively. Sequentially measured uric acid was (322.98 ± 84.51) μmol/L, (346.57 ± 89.49) μmol/L, and (344.89 ±89.67) μmol/L, respectively. Sequentially measured creatinine was 69.6 (62.9, 79.0) μmol/L, 73.0 (65.0, 83.5) μmol/L, and 73.0 (65.0, 83.0) μmol/L, respectively. The sequential analysis of obesity proportion was 74.3%, 81.7%, and 76.5%, respectively, with statistically significant differences ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with the NAFLD population, the MAFLD and MASLD populations were predominantly male, obese, and had a history of smoking and drinking. The levels of γ-glutamyltransferase, uric acid, and creatinine were slightly higher, while the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were lower. MASLD appeared in NAFLD and MAFLD on the basis of inheritance and progression, emphasizing once again the important role of metabolic factors in a fatty liver.
7.Cost-utility analysis of dorzagliatin combined with metformin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with poor glycemic control with metformin
Ning GAO ; Bing FENG ; Shengnan GAO ; Shan GUO ; Mengna NIU ; Guoqiang LIU
China Pharmacy 2024;35(6):724-728
OBJECTIVE To assess the long-term cost-effectiveness of five glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP- 1RAs) in the treatment of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with metformin. METHODS Baseline data from patients in previously published meta-analysis and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were extracted to predict survival, long-term efficacy, and costs for each group using the United Kingdom prospective diabetes study outcome model 2.1. The cost-effectiveness of 5 GLP-1RAs (liraglutide, lixisenatide, exenatide, dulaglutide, and semaglutide) was analyzed by cost- utility analysis. Sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis were also performed to verify the uncertainty of basic analysis results. RESULTS A total of 21 RCTs with 6 796 patients were included. Survival analysis curves showed the superiority of semaglutide in reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and dulaglutide in reducing the risk of all-cause mortality over other GLP- 1RAs. The cost-utility analysis showed that the five drugs were economically superior to inferior in the order of lixisenatide, semaglutide, exenatide, dulaglutide, and liraglutide; one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses indicated that the results were robust. The scenario analysis results indicated that the price of semaglutide should decrease by at least 54.64% to 369.21 yuan, which is cost-effectiveness compared to lixisenatide. CONCLUSIONS For T2DM patients in China with poor glycemic control after treatment with metformin, lixisenatide and semaglutide may be considered as the preferred regimen.
9. Association between index finger and ring finger length ratios and polymorphism of homeobox A11 gene locus among Ningxia college students
Meng-Yi YANG ; Shi-Bo NIU ; Jing ZHANG ; Jie DANG ; Zhan-Bing MA ; Hong LU ; Zheng-Hao HUO
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2024;55(1):62-66
Objective To investigate the association between the index finger and ring finger length ratio (2D ∶ 4D) and of four loci (rs6461992‚ rs6968828‚ rs7801581‚ rs17427875) polymorphism of homeobox (HOX) A11 gene among Ningxia college students. Methods Digit camera was used to collect frontal hand photos of 667 Han college students (348 males and 319 females) from Ningxia province; Image analysis software was used to mark the anatomical points and measure finger lengths of the index and ring fingers of both hands; multiplex PCR was used to detect each locus polymorphisms of HOXA11 gene; statistical software was used to compare and analyze the differences and associations of 2D ∶4D and gene polymorphisms between different genders. Results Among Ningxia Han college students‚ both left hand and right hand 2D ∶ 4D were significantly higher in females than those of in males (all P< 0. 05)‚ and there were no significant sex differences in right-left hand 2D ∶4D; the genotypes and allele frequencies of rs7801581 locus of HOXA11 gene differed significantly between genders (all P < 0. 05)‚ and none of the other locus polymorphisms showed any significant sex differences; only female left hand 2D ∶4D was significantly associated with rs6461992 locus genotype in the relationship between 2D ∶4D and HOXA11 polymorphisms (P<0. 05). Conclusion There were significant sex differences in 2D ∶ 4D among Han college students in Ningxia‚ and the rs6461992 locus polymorphism of HOXA11 gene may be associated with the formation of 2D ∶4D in females.
10.Cost-effectiveness analysis of tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma
Bing FENG ; Ning GAO ; Shengnan GAO ; Shan GUO ; Mengna NIU ; Guoqiang LIU
China Pharmacy 2024;35(8):967-971
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. METHODS The data of RATIONALE-305 study and related literature were used to establish a partitioned survival model from the perspective of China’s health system. The cycle was 3 weeks, the simulation time was set as 10 years, and the discount rate was 5%. The quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were used as the health outcome indicator to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy versus placebo combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, and one-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were also conducted. RESULTS The base analysis showed that the patients received more 0.268 QALYs with tislelizumab plus chemotherapy, compared with placebo plus chemotherapy, but the cost increased by 70 404.81 yuan with an incremental cost- effectiveness ratio (ICER) of 262 431.62 yuan/QALY, which was less than three times China’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2023 as the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold (268 074 yuan/QALY). One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the efficacy value of progress free survive and the price of tislelizumab had a greater impact on the ICER value. The results of probability sensitivity analysis showed that when the WTP threshold was 3 times China’s GDP per capita in 2023, the probability of tislelizumab being cost-effective was 53.3%. CONCLUSIONS When the WTP threshold is 3 times China’s GDP per capita in 2023, tislelizumab plus chemotherapy is cost-effective for first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, compared with placebo plus chemotherapy.

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