1.Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment Mechanisms of Inflammatory Injury in Diabetic Cardiomypathy from Theory of "Gaozhuo"
Xiaoyue WANG ; Yunfeng YU ; Xiangning HUANG ; Yixin XIANG ; Sihao ZHANG ; Qin XIANG ; Rong YU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):235-244
Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus and is a major threat to global health. As a key mechanism in the occurrence and progression of DCM, the inflammatory response persists throughout the entire course of the DCM. The Gaozhuo theory suggests that the basic pathogenesis of inflammatory injury in DCM is the Qi deficiency of spleen and kidney and Gaozhuo invasion, and divides the pathological process into three phases: Gaozhuo invasion, turbid heat damage to the channels, and turbid blood stasis and heat junction. Among them, the Qi deficiency of spleen and kidney and the endogenous formation of Gaozhuo represent the process of inflammatory factor formation induced by glucose metabolism disorders. Turbid heat damage to the channels refers to the process of myocardial inflammatory injury mediated by inflammatory factors, and turbid blood stasis and heat junction are the process of myocardial injury developing toward myocardial fibrosis and ventricular remodeling. As the disease continues to progress, it eventually develops into a depletion of the heart Yang, leading to the ultimate regression of heart failure. According to the theory of Gaozhuo, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) should regulate inflammatory injury in DCM by strengthening the spleen and tonifying the kidney to address the root cause, and resolving dampness and lowering turbidity to treat the symptoms. If the turbidity has been stored for a long time and turns into heat, strengthening the spleen and tonifying the kidney, and clearing heat and resolving turbidity should be the therapy. If the turbidity, stasis, and heat are knotted in the heart and collaterals, strengthening the spleen and tonifying the kidney, and resolving stasis and lowering turbidity should be the therapy. TCM compounds and monomers can regulate the inflammatory response in DCM. TCM compounds can be divided into the categories for benefiting Qi to resolve turbidity, benefiting Qi and clearing heat to resolve turbidity, and benefiting Qi and activating blood to reduce turbidity. The compounds can inhibit upstream signals of inflammation and expression of inflammatory factors, improve the inflammatory damage to myocardium and blood vessels, myocardial fibrosis, and cardiac systole and diastole, and thus slow down the onset and progression of DCM.
2.Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment Mechanisms of Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Combined with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Based on Theory of "Gaozhuo"
Yixin XIANG ; Yunfeng YU ; Xiaoyue WANG ; Xiangning HUANG ; Qin XIANG ; Rong YU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):253-260
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation is the key link in the progression of NAFLD to liver fibrosis. According to the theory of "Gaozhuo", spleen deficiency and Qi stagnation, along with Gaozhuo invasion, are the causes of NAFLD progression to liver fibrosis, which reveals the pathogenesis essence of HSC activation in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Among them, spleen deficiency and Qi stagnation are the root causes of the endogenous formation of Gaozhuo. Spleen deficiency indicates the insulin sensitivity decrease and glucose metabolism disorders, and Qi stagnation means the dysregulation of hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism, which creates the preconditions for HSC activation. Gaozhuo invasion is the direct cause of HSC activation, including three stages: Internal retention of Gaozhuo, turbidity and stasis stagnation, and toxic stasis and consolidation. Internal retention of Gaozhuo refers to the abnormal metabolism and deposition of hepatic lipids, as well as the microcirculatory disorders. Turbidity and stasis stagnation is the process by which lipotoxicity stimulates the transformation of HSC into myofibroblast (MFB), and toxic stasis and consolidation represent the secretion of a large amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) by MFB to promote the fibrosis. According to the theory of Gaozhuo and the activation process of HSC, syndromes for T2DM combined with NAFLD can be classified into spleen deficiency and Qi stagnation with internal retention of Gaozhuo, spleen Qi deficiency with turbidity and stasis stagnation, and spleen Qi deficiency with toxic stasis and consolidation. Clinically, the treatment principle is to strengthen the spleen and promote Qi, resolve turbidity, and eliminate blood stasis. Both TCM compounds and monomers can effectively inhibit the HSC activation. TCM compounds can be classified into categories for regulating spleen and harmonizing liver, resolving turbidity and removing stasis, and detoxifying and removing stasis. They mainly work by improving lipid metabolism, reducing lipid accumulation in the liver, alleviating inflammatory and oxidative stress responses, inhibiting the activation and proliferation of HSC, and reducing ECM deposition, thereby delaying the progression of liver fibrosis.
3.Interpretation of the key points of the 2025 AHA/ACC guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation and management of high blood pressure in adults
Qin SUN ; Aiai LI ; Jing YU ; Dongze LI ; Haihong ZHANG ; Yan ZHONG ; Zhi WAN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(02):204-210
The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), in collaboration with multiple professional organizations, jointly released the "Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults" in August 2025. Based on the latest evidence-based medical findings from February 2015 to January 2025, the guideline proposes an individualized treatment strategy grounded in total cardiovascular disease risk stratification, incorporates the novel PREVENT risk assessment model, lowers the medication initiation threshold and control targets for high-risk populations, and provides specific management recommendations for special populations. This article provides an interpretation of these updates and conducts a comparative analysis with the current status of hypertension prevention and treatment in China as well as Chinese guidelines, aiming to offer reference for hypertension control practices in China.
4.Interpretation of the heart disease section in 2025 AHA Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics
Aiai LI ; Qin SUN ; Jing YU ; Dongze LI ; Haihong ZHANG ; Yan ZHONG ; Zhi WAN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(03):339-346
The American Heart Association (AHA) officially released the "2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data From the American Heart Association" on January 27, 2025. This report systematically compiles the latest statistics on major cardiovascular diseases worldwide, while simultaneously integrating relevant outcome indicators, including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs, and updating the global prevalence patterns and evolving trends of diverse risk factors impacting cardiovascular health, providing essential guidance for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Synthesizing insights from this pivotal report and other relevant studies, this article highlights key findings concerning the global prevalence and mortality of heart diseases, associated risk factors, and emerging diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.
5.Zuogui Jiangtang Shuxin Prescription Ameliorates Lipid Deposition in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy of MKR Mice by Regulating AMPK/FoxO1/CD36 Signaling Pathway
Xiu LIU ; Juping WANG ; Jiawang HUANG ; Junju ZOU ; Qin XIANG ; Yunfeng YU ; Rong YU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):134-142
ObjectiveTo investigate the ameliorative effects and related mechanisms of the Zuogui Jiangtang Shuxin prescription (ZJSP) on glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in MKR mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), with a focus on elucidating its regulatory role on the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1)/cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) signaling pathway and lipid deposition. MethodsFifty 8-week-old male MKR mice were fed a high-fat diet for four weeks and then intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (STZ) while maintaining a high-fat diet to establish a DCM model. The mice were randomly divided into the model group, the low-dose(14.43 g·kg-1)and high-dose(28.86 g·kg-1) ZJSP groups, and the metformin group (0.25 g·kg-1), with age-matched FVB mice as a normal control group. Each group received intragastric administration of normal saline or corresponding concentrations of ZJSP at equal volumes. After four weeks, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and cardiac function were measured. Blood was collected from the eyeballs under anesthesia to detect fasting insulin (FINS) and blood lipid levels. Myocardial tissue morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and lipid deposition in the heart was assessed using oil red O staining. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of AMPK, FoxO1, and CD36 in myocardial tissues. Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression levels of AMPK, p-AMPK, FoxO1, p-FoxO1, and CD36. ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group showed significantly increased levels of FBG and FINS (P<0.01), elevated levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (P<0.01), and significantly decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) values (P<0.01). HE staining revealed marked cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, disarray, and widened intercellular spaces in myocardial tissues. Oil Red O staining showed extensive red deposition areas and fine lipid droplet accumulation in the myocardial tissue. AMPK mRNA expression was decreased, while FoxO1 and CD36 mRNA expressions were significantly increased (P<0.01). The p-AMPK/AMPK protein expression ratio in myocardial tissues was significantly reduced, while the p-FoxO1/FoxO1 protein expression ratio and CD36 protein expression levels were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, all treatment groups exhibited significantly reduced FBG (P<0.01), decreased FINS and blood lipid levels (TG, TC, LDL-C) (P<0.05, P<0.01), improved cardiac function (P<0.05), noticeable amelioration of myocardial histopathological morphology and lipid deposition, increased AMPK mRNA expression (P<0.01), with significantly downregulated FoxO1 and CD36 mRNA expressions (P<0.01), elevated p-AMPK/AMPK protein expression levels in myocardial tissue (P<0.05), significantly decreased p-FoxO1/FoxO1 ratios (P<0.01), and downregulated CD36 protein expression levels (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionZJSP exerts a protective effect on the heart in type 2 DCM of MKR mice, and its mechanism may be associated with the regulation of the AMPK/FoxO1/CD36 signaling pathway.
6.Advances in reno-protective effects of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of hyperuricemia
Xiaoting ZHOU ; Yu DUAN ; Xingyuan LI ; Qin LIU ; Aijun LIU
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(4):167-172
Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a common metabolic disorder characterized by persistently elevated serum uric acid levels, leading to uric acid-related renal injury through complex mechanisms involving inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis. Key traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas (e.g., Simiao Powder, Tongfengning) and individual herbal compounds (alkaloids, flavonoids, polysaccharides) with urate-lowering and renal protective properties were systematically summarized, including their mechanisms of regulating uric acid transporters (organic anion transporter 3, urate anion transporter 1, glucose transporter type 9), inhibiting inflammatory responses (via NF-κB signaling), reducing oxidative stress (via mitochondrial pathways and antioxidant enzyme enhancement), and attenuating renal fibrosis (via PI3K/AKT signaling). The challenges of current studies mainly focus on unclear mechanisms of action and insufficient clinical research. Future research may further explore TCM resources, clarify dual-action mechanisms of urate reduction and renal protection, and identify new therapeutic strategies for hyperuricemia-related renal injury.
7.Zuogui Jiangtang Shuxin Prescription Ameliorates Lipid Deposition in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy of MKR Mice by Regulating AMPK/FoxO1/CD36 Signaling Pathway
Xiu LIU ; Juping WANG ; Jiawang HUANG ; Junju ZOU ; Qin XIANG ; Yunfeng YU ; Rong YU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):134-142
ObjectiveTo investigate the ameliorative effects and related mechanisms of the Zuogui Jiangtang Shuxin prescription (ZJSP) on glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in MKR mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), with a focus on elucidating its regulatory role on the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1)/cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) signaling pathway and lipid deposition. MethodsFifty 8-week-old male MKR mice were fed a high-fat diet for four weeks and then intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (STZ) while maintaining a high-fat diet to establish a DCM model. The mice were randomly divided into the model group, the low-dose(14.43 g·kg-1)and high-dose(28.86 g·kg-1) ZJSP groups, and the metformin group (0.25 g·kg-1), with age-matched FVB mice as a normal control group. Each group received intragastric administration of normal saline or corresponding concentrations of ZJSP at equal volumes. After four weeks, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and cardiac function were measured. Blood was collected from the eyeballs under anesthesia to detect fasting insulin (FINS) and blood lipid levels. Myocardial tissue morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and lipid deposition in the heart was assessed using oil red O staining. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of AMPK, FoxO1, and CD36 in myocardial tissues. Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression levels of AMPK, p-AMPK, FoxO1, p-FoxO1, and CD36. ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group showed significantly increased levels of FBG and FINS (P<0.01), elevated levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (P<0.01), and significantly decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) values (P<0.01). HE staining revealed marked cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, disarray, and widened intercellular spaces in myocardial tissues. Oil Red O staining showed extensive red deposition areas and fine lipid droplet accumulation in the myocardial tissue. AMPK mRNA expression was decreased, while FoxO1 and CD36 mRNA expressions were significantly increased (P<0.01). The p-AMPK/AMPK protein expression ratio in myocardial tissues was significantly reduced, while the p-FoxO1/FoxO1 protein expression ratio and CD36 protein expression levels were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, all treatment groups exhibited significantly reduced FBG (P<0.01), decreased FINS and blood lipid levels (TG, TC, LDL-C) (P<0.05, P<0.01), improved cardiac function (P<0.05), noticeable amelioration of myocardial histopathological morphology and lipid deposition, increased AMPK mRNA expression (P<0.01), with significantly downregulated FoxO1 and CD36 mRNA expressions (P<0.01), elevated p-AMPK/AMPK protein expression levels in myocardial tissue (P<0.05), significantly decreased p-FoxO1/FoxO1 ratios (P<0.01), and downregulated CD36 protein expression levels (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionZJSP exerts a protective effect on the heart in type 2 DCM of MKR mice, and its mechanism may be associated with the regulation of the AMPK/FoxO1/CD36 signaling pathway.
8.Expert consensus on the clinical application of parenteral direct thrombin inhibitors in special populations
Xin YAO ; Yuan BIAN ; Lizhu HAN ; Qinan YIN ; Yang LEI ; Zimeng WAN ; Luyao HUANG ; Danjie ZHAO ; Yu YAN ; Qin LI ; Baorong HU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(8):965-975
OBJECTIVE To form an expert consensus addressing clinical issues regarding the use of parenteral direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) in special populations. METHODS Led by the Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital(the Affiliated Hospital of UESTC), a multidisciplinary working group was formed comprising experts from multiple fields, including clinical pharmacy, cardiac surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics and evidence-based medicine. Through literature review and the Delphi method, clinical questions regarding the efficacy and safety of parenteral DTIs used in special populations were identified. A structured design was adopted using the “Population-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome” (PICO) framework;systematic searches were conducted in CJFD, PubMed, Embase and other databases. Relevant evidence from randomized controlled trials,cohort studies and systematic reviews were included and synthesized. Evidence quality was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach, and recommendations were formulated through three rounds of Delphi surveys and expert consensus meetings. RESULTS &CONCLUSIONS Seven clinical questions were ultimately selected (with a consensus rate exceeding 90%), resulting in the formulation of seven recommendations on the use of parenteral DTIs in special populations, including children, pregnant women, patients with hepatic or renal impairment, patients with mesenteric venous thrombosis, and individuals with thrombophilia. These recommendations clarify the preferred agents, dosing ranges, monitoring parameters, and safety management strategies for parenteral DTIs in these special populations. This expert consensus, which is formulated based on the best available evidence, provides evidence-based guidance for standardized and individualized use of parenteral DTIs in special populations.
9.The Structure and Function of The YopJ Family Effectors in The Bacterial Type III Secretion System
Ao-Ning LI ; Wen-Bo LI ; Yu-Ying LU ; Min-Hui ZHU ; Yu-Long QIN ; Yong ZHAO ; Zhao-Huan ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):516-533
The Type III Secretion System (T3SS) serves as a pivotal virulence apparatus for numerous Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, enabling them to infect both animal and plant hosts. Functioning as a molecular syringe, the T3SS directly translocates bacterial effector proteins from the bacterial cytoplasm into the interior of eukaryotic host cells. These effectors are central weapons that precisely manipulate a wide spectrum of host cellular physiological processes, ranging from cytoskeletal dynamics to immune signaling, to establish a favorable niche for bacterial survival and proliferation. Among the diverse arsenal of T3SS effectors, the YopJ family constitutes a critical group of virulence factors. Members of this family are characterized by a conserved catalytic triad structure—a hallmark of the CE clan of cysteine proteases that has been evolutionarily repurposed to confer acetyltransferase activity. A defining and intriguing feature of these enzymes is their stringent dependence on a host-derived eukaryotic cofactor, inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6), for allosteric activation. This requirement acts as a sophisticated molecular safeguard, ensuring enzymatic activity only within the appropriate host environment, thereby preventing detrimental effects on the bacterium itself. While seminal studies on individual members such as Yersinia’s YopJ and Salmonella’s AvrA have provided deep mechanistic insights, a systematic and integrative understanding of the structure-function relationships across the entire family remains fragmented. Key questions persist regarding how a conserved catalytic core has diverged to recognize distinct host substrates in different kingdoms of life. To address this gap, this article provides a systematic review of the YopJ family, focusing on three interconnected aspects: their structural features, their catalytic mechanism, and their divergent immunosuppressive strategies in animal versus plant hosts. By conducting a comparative analysis of the sequences and resolved three-dimensional structures of three representative members (e.g., HopZ1a, PopP2, AvrA), we elucidate regions of significant variation embedded within the conserved core catalytic architecture. These variable regions, often involving surface loops and substrate-binding interfaces, are crucial determinants of target specificity and functional specialization. The functional divergence of this effector family is most apparent when comparing their modes of action in different hosts. In animal hosts, YopJ-family effectors primarily sabotage innate immune signaling pathways. They achieve this by acetylating key serine and threonine residues within the activation loops of critical kinases in the MAPK and NF‑κB pathways. This post-translational modification blocks the phosphorylation and subsequent activation of these kinases, leading to potent suppression of inflammatory cytokine production. Conversely, in plant hosts, the strategy broadens to dismantle the two-tiered plant immune system. YopJ homologs target a more diverse set of substrates, including immune-associated receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs), microtubule networks via tubulin acetylation (which disrupts cellular trafficking and signaling), and transcription factors central to defense gene regulation. This multi-target approach effectively suppresses both Pattern-Triggered Immunity (PTI) and Effector-Triggered Immunity (ETI). In conclusion, this synthesis aims to deepen the mechanistic understanding of YopJ family-mediated pathogenesis by integrating structural biology with cellular function across host kingdoms. Elucidating the precise molecular basis for substrate selection—how conserved platforms achieve target diversity—is a major frontier. Furthermore, this knowledge provides a vital theoretical foundation for developing novel anti-virulence strategies. Targeting the conserved IP6-binding pocket or the catalytic acetyltransferase activity itself represents a promising avenue for designing broad-spectrum inhibitors that could disarm this critical family of bacterial effectors, potentially offering new therapeutic approaches against a range of pathogenic bacteria.
10.Effectiveness of generative large language model MedGo in nursing decision-making for elderly patients with multimorbidity
Qiaoyun YAN ; Min LI ; Yawen YAN ; Yaqing NI ; Yun GU ; Jiawen QIN ; Haiping YU ; Haitao ZHANG ; Liming ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2026;33(1):16-23
Objective To explore the effectiveness of the generative large language model MedGo in nursing decision-making for elderly patients with multimorbidity. Methods A quasi-randomized controlled trial study was conducted involving 6 junior nurses, 6 senior nurses and the MedGo model from January 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 at the Emergency Internal Medicine Ward of Shanghai East Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University. Clinical data of 120 elderly patients with multimorbidity were analyzed to compare the performance of the three groups in four tasks (nursing diagnosis assessment, nursing intervention formulation, complication identification, and complication prevention) from three evaluation dimensions: decision-making time consumption, decision accuracy, and decision-making quality. Results In terms of decision-making time, the senior nurse group completed all four tasks faster than the junior nurse group (P<0.01), and the MedGo group completed all four tasks faster than the junior nurse group (P<0.001) and the senior nurse group (P<0.001). In terms of decision-making accuracy, senior nurse group scored higher than junior nurse group in all four tasks (P<0.001), while the MedGo group outperformed the senior nurse group only in complication identification (P<0.001). In terms of decision-making quality, the MedGo group scored higher than junior nurse group (P<0.001) and senior nurse group (P<0.001) in all four tasks. Conclusions The MedGo model demonstrates advantages of high efficiency, accuracy, and quality in nursing decision-making for elderly patients with multimorbidity; senior nurses outperform junior nurses in decision-making, providing diverse references for clinical nursing decision-making.

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