1.Current status of research on the mechanism of action of emodin in the prevention and treatment of chronic liver diseases
Yajie CHEN ; Xin WANG ; Yunjuan WU ; Ying SU ; Yuhan WANG ; Jinxue ZHANG ; Ning YAO ; Ying QIN ; Xiaoning ZUO
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(1):228-234
Chronic liver diseases are a group of diseases in which the liver is subjected to a variety of injuries over a long period of time, resulting in irreversible pathological changes that last longer than 6 months. Emodin (EMO) is a natural anthraquinone derivative derived from Rheum officinale, and its pharmacological effect has been extensively studied, exhibiting a variety of biological properties and involving multiple signaling molecules and pathways. Western medicine or surgical treatment is currently the main treatment regimen for chronic liver diseases, and the advance in treatment is limited by various reasons such as side effects and high costs. Due to its natural origin and efficacy, EMO has unique advantages in the treatment of chronic liver diseases and has now become a research hotspot. This article summarizes the therapeutic effect of EMO on chronic liver diseases and its mechanism, in order to provide a certain scientific basis for the traditional Chinese medicine treatment of chronic liver diseases and the development of drugs in clinical practice.
2.Transcriptomic responses of Bulinus globosus to extreme temperature and drought stress
Xinyao WANG ; Dandan PENG ; Ying YANG ; Jianfeng ZHANG ; Zhiqiang QIN ; Kun YANG ; Shizhu LI ; Jing XU
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2026;38(1):29-37
Objective To examine the impact of extreme temperature and drought stress on the survival of Bulinus globosus, so as to provide the theoretical evidence for the genomic research of Bulinus in absence of reference genes. Methods B. globosus snail samples were collected from Kiwani Shehia in Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, and offspring snails were obtained through laboratory breeding and reproduction. A total of 120 10-week-old B. globosus snails from the same generation were selected and randomly assigned into four groups, including the high-temperature drought (HD) group, normal temperature drought (D) group, low-temperature drought (LD) group, and the control (C) group, of 30 snails in each group. Snails in HD, D, and LD groups were placed in beakers containing dry soil at the bottom and subsequently housed in climate chambers at 35, 26 ℃, and 10 ℃, respectively, while snails in Group C were maintained in 500 mL petri dishes containing dechlorinated tap water at 26 ℃. Following 3 days of breeding, living snails in each group were collected, and soft tissues were dissected and isolated. Total RNA was extracted from snail soft tissues for library construction, followed by high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq 4000 sequencing system. De novo transcriptome assembly was performed using the Trinity software, and the longest transcripts were selected as unigenes. Gene functional annotations of unigenes were conducted using the Diamond software against Gene Ontology (GO) knowledgebase, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database, NCBI non-redundant (NR) protein sequences database, Protein Family (Pfam) database, and UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot (Swiss-Prot) knowledgebase. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were performed using the topGO and clusterProfiler software, respectively. In addition, four relevant genes were selected for validation using a real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) assay to verify the reliability of transcriptome sequencing results. Results Following 3 days of breeding, there were 7, 20, 28, and 30 survival B. globosus snails in HD, LD, D, and C groups, with corresponding survival rates of 23.33% (7/30), 66.67% (20/30), 93.33% (28/30), and 100.00% (30/30), respectively (χ2 = 52.72, P < 0.001). De novo transcriptome assembly generated 176 942 unigenes, with annotation rates of 0.98%, 13.49%, 26.46%, 12.48%, and 14.39% against GO knowledgebase, KEGG pathway database, NR protein sequences database, Pfam database, and Swiss-Prot knowledgebase, respectively. There were 33 up-regulated and 72 down-regulated genes in Group D, 483 up-regulated and 815 down-regulated genes in Group HD, and 245 up-regulated and 172 down-regulated genes in Group LD relative to in Group C. Following removal of overlapping genes across groups and unmatched genes, 11 candidate genes were identified. GO and KEGG analyses revealed 3 heat shock protein (HSP)-related DEGs in these 11 candidate genes, which were annotated as HSP12.2, HSP70, and HSP20 genes and were all significantly up-regulated in each treatment group. Three immune and nervous system-related DEGs were identified, and were all significantly down-regulated in each treatment group, which were involved in the neural cell adhesion molecule L1-like protein pathway, fibrinogen binding protein pathway, and leukocyte elastase inhibitor-like protein pathway. qRT-PCR assay quantified that the expression trends of four genes related to temperature and drought stress across different treatment groups were highly consistent with transcriptome sequencing data. Conclusion The survival rate of B. globosus significantly reduces under combined stresses of extreme temperature and drought, possibly due to an imbalance in its cellular homeostasis regulatory system.
3.Effects of fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on biological properties of BLM DNA helicase
Wang-ming ZHANG ; Qin-ying FENG ; Xiao-yu SONG ; Xin-zhong ZHOU ; Juan LU ; Wan-qing XIE ; Zhi-wen LAI ; Wei-dong PAN ; Jie-lin LIU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(9):1680-1686
Aim To investigate the effects of the fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on the biological prop-erties of the BLM642-1290 DNA helicase,in order to lay a foundation for further research on its antitumor activity.Methods Fluorescence polarization assay,malachite green-phosphate and ammonium molybdate colorime-try,and fluorescein-labeled DNA gel electrophoresis experiments were conducted to study the effects of fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on the DNA binding activity,ATPase activity,and DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase.The effects of LYY-32 on the DNA unwinding activity of DNA helicase in cells were studied using fluorescent techniques and time-lapse microscopy.Ultraviolet spectral scanning was used to investigate the effects of LYY-32 on the confor-mation of the BLM642-1290 DNA helicase.Results At a concentration of 10 μmol·L-1,the inhibition rate of LYY-32 on BLM642-1290 DNA helicase binding to dsDNA was 53.17%.At a concentration of 5 μmol·L-1,the inhibition rate of LYY-32 on BLM642-1290 DNA helicase binding to ssDNA was 88.49%.The inhibition rate of LYY-32 on the ATPase activity of BLM642-1290 DNA he-licase was 89.3%at a concentration of 50 μmol·L-1.When the concentration of LYY-32 exceeded 5μmol·L-1,its inhibition rate on the DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase was 100%.LYY-32 also significantly inhibited the DNA unwinding ac-tivity of DNA helicase in cells.However,LYY-32 had no effect on the conformation of BLM642-1290 DNA heli-case.Conclusion The DNA binding activity,AT-Pase activity,and DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase could be significantly inhibi-ted by the fangchinoline derivative LYY-32.
4.Association between insulin resistance and idiopathic central precocious puberty in girls and the diagnostic value of insulin resistance
Jin-Bo LI ; Ya XIAO ; Shu-Qin JIANG ; Xiang-Yang LUO ; Hong-Ru ZHANG ; Jun SUN ; Wen-Hui SHI ; Ying YANG ; Wei WANG
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(12):1487-1492
Objective To explore the relationship between insulin resistance and idiopathic central precocious puberty(ICPP)in girls and the diagnostic value of insulin resistance.Methods Clinical data of 245 girls aged 4 to 7.5 years with low luteinizing hormone(LH)levels(0.2-0.83 IU/L),normal body weight(body mass index standard deviation score between-2 and+2),and early breast development who visited the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology,Henan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2022 to March 2025 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Central Precocious Puberty(2022),patients were assigned to an ICPP group(n=123)or a control group(n=122).Correlations between the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)and selected indices were assessed.Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between HOMA-IR and ICPP,and the diagnostic performance of various indices for ICPP was evaluated.Results HOMA-IR was higher in the ICPP group than in the control group(P<0.001)and was positively correlated with LH peak(rs=0.467,P<0.05)and the LH peak/FSH peak ratio(rs=0.444,P<0.05).The multivariable logistic regression model including age,BMI,and basal LH showed that HOMA-IR was closely associated with ICPP(OR=2.756,95%CI:1.940-3.913).Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve for basal LH,HOMA-IR,and their combination in diagnosing ICPP were 0.735,0.735,and 0.805,respectively(P<0.05),and the combined model had a greater area under the curve than either basal LH or HOMA-IR alone(both P<0.05).Conclusions HOMA-IR is closely associated with ICPP in girls with low LH and normal body weight,and combining HOMA-IR with basal LH improves early identification and diagnostic efficiency in this population.
5.Ovarian teratoma-associated anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis:one case report
Qiao-ying LYU ; Yi-qin WANG ; Xue-zhen LUO
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2025;52(6):908-912
A 21-year-old unmarried female visited Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,Fudan University with the chief complaint,memory decline for more than 20 days and discovery of a pelvic mass for more than 10 days.Through systematic examination,she was diagnosed with teratoma-associated anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDAR)encephalitis.The patient underwent bilateral ovarian teratoma enucleation,and postoperative pathology revealed immature teratoma grade Ⅰ in the left ovary and mature teratoma in the right ovary.Perioperative combined immunotherapy significantly improved her neuropsychiatric symptoms.The diagnosis and treatment of ovarian teratoma-associated anti-NMDAR encephalitis require multidisciplinary collaboration,with accurate diagnosis,timely surgical resection within 1 month,and early initiation of immunotherapy being critical factors for improving prognosis.Clinicians should remain vigilant to avoid missed or misdiagnosed cases,as this condition can lead to severe outcomes.
6.Correlation between brain gray matter volume changes and neurotransmitter receptors/transporters in patients with first-episode schizophrenia
Huan HUANG ; Xiaowei WANG ; Cheng CHEN ; Wei YUAN ; Yunlong PENG ; Xuan QIN ; Ying XIONG ; Rui XU ; Huiling WANG
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(10):885-890
Objective:To explore the spatial correlation between gray matter volume (GMV) changes and neurotransmitter receptors/transporters in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) .Methods:Fifty-four FES patients(FES group) and fifty-nine healthy controls (HC group) were selected from June 2014 to May 2020 in the Psychiatry Department of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) was conducted on all subjects. Differences of GMV were compared across 400 cortical regions and 32 subcortical regions. Based on the positron emission tomography(PET) data from Neuromaps, which provides the density of 19 different neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, Spearman correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the spatial correlation between GMV changes and neurotransmitter systems.Results:Compared to the HC group, FES group exhibited significant GMV reductions in widespread cortical (90/400) and subcortical (6/32) regions (all FDR-corrected P<0.05). The effect size of GMV reduction (Cohen’s d) showed significant positive correlations with the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1a(5HT1a) ( r=0.400, Pspin=0.002), γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor(GABA A)( r=0.307, Pspin=0.002), and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5(mGluR5) ( r=0.275, Pspin=0.020) receptors (all FDR-corrected P<0.05). Conclusion:GMV reductions in a wide range of brain regions existed in patients with FES. There are significant correlations between 5HT1a, GABA A and mGluR5 receptors and gray matter reduction in patients with FES. The disorder of these neurotransmitter receptors may be the potential neurobiological mechanism of gray matter structural abnormalities in the early stage of schizophrenia.
7.Application effects of learning pyramid theory combined with constructivism in the standardized training of gastroenterology nurses
Miao CHEN ; Qin MENG ; Xiuping LIU ; Ying WANG ; Xiaoyu CHEN ; Gui JIA
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2025;24(5):686-690
Objective:To investigate the application effects of learning pyramid theory combined with constructivism in the standardized training of nurses in the department of gastroenterology.Methods:We randomly divided 104 gastroenterology nurses who received standardized training from October 2021 to October 2023 into observation group and control group, with 52 nurses in each group. The control group received conventional teaching, while the observation group received a combination of learning pyramid theory and constructivist teaching. The two groups were compared in terms of theoretical and practical scores, core competencies, self-learning abilities, and professional values scores before and after training. SPSS 23.0 was used to perform the t-test. Results:After training, the two groups showed improvements in all the tests; and the scores were all significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group: theoretical knowledge [(88.61±15.62) vs. (81.76±14.27)], skill practice [(82.91±15.17) vs. (76.40±13.82)], Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses scale score [(157.83±21.73) vs. (125.40±15.77)], self-learning ability score [(123.38±21.62) vs. (97.43±15.23)], and Nurse Professional Values scale score [(89.15±14.63) vs. (78.52±12.84)].Conclusions:The teaching model of learning pyramid theory and constructivism theory can enhance standardized training effectiveness for gastroenterology nurses.
8.Mechanistic study on the male flower of Eucommia ulmoides-Sanchi flower herb pair for improving glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus model mice
Ning WANG ; Congyi LIU ; Ying DING ; Xinyu ZHONG ; Zimeng HUANG ; Na ZHENG ; Qiu'e ZHANG ; Ruifeng YANG ; Lili WU ; Lingling QIN ; Tonghua LIU
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(10):1390-1403
Objective Based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory of"simultaneous regulation of the liver and kidney,"this study integrated network pharmacology prediction,molecular docking,and animal experimental validation to analyze the multi-target regulatory network of Duzhong Xionghua(the male flower of Eucommia ulmoides)-Sanqi Hua(Sanchi flower)herb pair(hereinafter called"herb pair")in modulating glucolipid metabolic disorders in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),thereby elucidating its underlying molecular mechanism.Methods Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals,and Wanfang Data were used to obtain the active ingredients of the male flower of Eucommia ulmoides and Sanchi flower.PubChem Compound,SwissTargetPrediction,and SuperPred were used to screen and predict the targets of the drugs;The Human Gene Database,The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man,and Therapeutic Target Database were used to screen the key gene targets of T2DM.A"component-target-pathway"network diagram was constructed using Cytoscape software,and Gene Ontology functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were employed to identify the functions of the relevant target genes and pathways.Molecular docking was used to verify the binding activities of the core components and the key targets.For animal experiments,spontaneous T2DM model mice were used,in which the normal group consisted of six mice(wild type)from the same litter,and the 24 successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into model,metformin(0.26 g/kg),high-dose herb pair(2.6 g/kg),and low-dose herb pair groups(1.3 g/kg)according to the blood glucose levels and body weights,with six mice per group.The drugs were administered by gavage daily for six consecutive weeks.The body weight and fasting blood glucose(FBG)levels were measured weekly,and an oral glucose tolerance test was performed in the fifth week.At the end of drug administration,body weight,naso-anal length,liver and bilateral epididymal adipose mass were measured;pathological changes in the liver were observed using HE staining;serum levels of aspartate transaminase(AST),alanine amino-transferase(ALT),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)were detected using colorimetric assay;and liver tissue phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β)signaling pathway protein expressions were determined using Western blotting.Results Network pharmacology screening identified 38 active components and 669 potential targets of the herb pair.Intersection analysis with 1,275 T2DM-related targets yielded 185 common targets.Protein-protein interaction network analysis and pathway enrichment revealed the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway as a key mechanism.Molecular docking confirmed the strong binding affinity of the core components to key targets such as AKT1,suggesting that the herb pair may activate the PI3K/AKT pathway and inhibit GSK-3β activity via beta-sitosterol etc.Animal experiments demonstrated that,compared with the model group,the metformin group exhibited reduced FBG,AST,and ALT levels(P<0.01),but failed to improve body weight,Lee's index,or epididymal fat coefficient.Both herb pair doses significantly lowered Lee's index,hepatic index,and the epididymal fat coefficient(P<0.01),with the low-dose herb pair group showing attenuated body weight gain in mice.In contrast,the high-dose herb pair group exhibited decreased FBG,improved glucose tolerance,reduced TC,TG,and LDL-C levels,and increased HDL-C level(all P<0.01).HE staining revealed that all metformin and the herb pair markedly restored hepatic structure and alleviated steatosis in model mice,with more pronounced effects in the high-dose group than in the low-dose group.Western blotting result indicated that in the low-dose herb pair group,phospho-PI3K(p-PI3K),AKT,and phospho-GSK-3β(p-GSK-3β)protein expressions significantly increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),whereas GSK-3β decreased(P<0.05).The high-dose group exhibited enhanced PI3K,p-PI3K,AKT,phospho-AKT,and p-GSK-3β protein expressions(all P<0.01),accompanied by reduced GSK-3β expression(P<0.01).Conclusion The male flower of Eucommia ulmoides-Sanchi flower herb pair may ameliorate T2DM-related glucolipid metabolic disorders by modulating the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway.
9.Efficacy of CT-based interpretable integrated learning model for differentiating lung squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma
Shi-ze QIN ; Xiu-fu ZHANG ; Xue ZHOU ; Dan SU ; Yong-ying LIU ; Fang WANG ; Qing JIA
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(7):12-20
Objective To investigate the efficacy of an interpretable integrated learning model combining clinical indicators,CT image features and radiomics features for the differential diagnosis of lung squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma,so as to provide references for clincal treatment decisions.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical and imaging data from 220 patients(231 lesions)with primary non-small cell lung cancer at Jiangjin Central Hospital of Chongqing(Center 1)and 83 patients(84 lesions)at Chongqing General Hospital(Center 2).In Center 1,the squamous cell carcinoma group consisted of 60 patients(60 lesions),while the adenocarcinoma group included 160 patients(171 lesions).In Center 2,the squamous cell carcinoma group comprised 18 patients(18 lesions),and the adenocarcinoma group involved 65 patients(66 lesions).The patients were categorized into squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma groups based on pathological findings.Center 1 was randomly partitioned into a training set and a validation set at a 7∶3 ratio,while Center 2 served as the independent test set.Firstly,a deep learning model,VB-Net,was used to automatically segment the tumor region on the lung window image;secondly,the SMOTE(synthetic minority oversampling technique)method was used to balance the categories in the training set and standardize the extracted features with Z-scores;thirdly,the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)were used to select the optimal radiomics features and calculate the radiomics score(Radscore),and univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to screen clinical indicators and independent clinical factors for differentiating lung squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma in CT image features;finally,three ensemble learning algorithms(AdaBoost,Bagging decision tree and XGBoost)were used to combine independent clinical factors and Radscore to construct the model.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the models.SHAP technique was used to analyze the feature contribution and model decision-making process.Results Among the evaluated ensemble models,AdaBoost and Bagging decision trees demonstrated overfitting tendencies.In contrast,the XGBoost model showed the best performance,achieving AUC values of 0.939,0.887 and 0.853 in the training,validation and independent test sets,respectively.SHAP indicated that Radscore was the most important feature affecting the performance of the model.The decision diagram enabled the visualization of the diagnostic process of the model.Conclusion The interpretable integrated learning model based on clinical indicators,CT image and radiomics features is expected to non-invasively diagnose lung squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma before treatment and assist clinicians make treatment decisions as early as possible.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(7):12-20]
10.Structural challenges and development pathways of the disease control supervisor system:A SWOT-CLPV integrated analysis
Yan-ling HAN ; Quan WANG ; Si-qi LIU ; Yu-meng LYU ; Yi-xin QIN ; Ying-ming SONG ; Jia-kun WANG ; Li YANG
Chinese Journal of Health Policy 2025;18(6):26-33
Objective:This study applies an integrated SWOT-CLPV framework combined with stakeholder analysis to systematically assess the strengths,weaknesses,opportunities,and threats of China's disease control inspector system,while identifying its control factors,leverage points,key problems,and vulnerabilities.Methods:Drawing on literature review,policy document analysis,and expert interviews with seven public health professionals,we extracted and categorized SWOT elements.A CLPV interaction analysis was conducted alongside stakeholder mapping to evaluate internal dynamics and systemic risks.Results:The inspector system demonstrates strengths in policy innovation and medical-public health integration,with external opportunities stemming from rising public health awareness and digital health advancements.However,the system faces weak endogenous momentum,limited leverage,and prominent control constraints and problem-prone areas,especially among grassroots institutions and inspectors themselves.Cross-sectoral coordination barriers and uneven local implementation contribute to significant institutional vulnerabilities.Conclusion:To enhance implementation and resilience,the system requires capacity building for key actors,improved governance structures,incentive and evaluation reforms,and strengthened coordination mechanisms to support the sustained and adaptive development of public health supervision.

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