1.BMSC-Exos affect inflammation and oxidative stress in DR rats by modulating the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway
Qin WANG ; Feng ZENG ; Wei LIU ; Hao HUANG ; Haizhi WANG
International Eye Science 2026;26(8):1307-1315
AIM:To investigate the therapeutic effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes(BMSC-Exos)on diabetic retinopathy(DR)in rats, with a focus on their ability to modulate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses through the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.METHODS:Streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into four groups: Group 1 [normal+phosphate-buffered saline(PBS)], Group 2(normal+Exos), Group 3(DR+PBS), and Group 4(DR+Exos). At the 8th week after modeling, BMSC-Exos or PBS were injected intravitreally. Retinal tissues were collected at the 16th week for histological analysis [hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining], apoptosis detection(TUNEL). Oxidative stress markers [8-OHdG, superoxide dismutase(SOD), and glutathione(GSH)] were assessed, and inflammatory cytokines [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)for interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α)], and molecular profiling [quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)for TLR4, NF-κB, and VEGF] were measured.RESULTS:The BMSC-Exos treatment significantly suppressed the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway in DR rats(P<0.01), which was accompanied by reduced retinal vascular leakage(Evans blue assay, P<0.001), decreased apoptosis(TUNEL, P<0.05), and attenuated oxidative stress(elevated SOD and GSH, reduced 8-OHdG, P<0.05). The levels of inflammatory cytokines(IL-6 and TNF-α)were markedly decreased(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:BMSC-Exos alleviate DR by suppressing the TLR4/NF-κB axis, thus reducing oxidative damage, inflammation, and microvascular dysfunction. This research offers a novel therapeutic approach for early-stage DR.
2.Material Basis, Pharmacological Mechanisms, and Quality Control of Antitumor Effect of Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus: A Review
Yuanye GU ; Ruonan QIANG ; Zheyu XU ; Ruyun CAO ; Qiye PAN ; Zhenyu YANG ; Tian XIA ; Qingyuan CHI ; Haojing WANG ; Xian GU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(19):258-268
Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus is a Chinese medicinal material used for clearing heat, detoxicifying, resolving phlegm, and dissipating nodules. It is derived from Cremastra appendiculata, Pleione bulbocodioides, or Pleione yunnanensis, as recorded in the 2025 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People′s Republic of China, with the former known as Maocigu and the latter two known as Bingqiuzi. Current antitumor studies mainly focus on polysaccharides, water-extracted alcohol-precipitated fractions, and purified extracts of C. appendiculata. Structurally characterized glucomannans suppress breast and liver tumor xenografts and exhibit immunomodulatory effects. The water-extracted alcohol-precipitated fractions inhibit tumor angiogenesis in hepatoma-bearing mice. A purified C. appendiculata extract standardized to five phenanthrene and bibenzyl constituents induces mitochondrial apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Reported pharmacological effects involve cell-cycle regulation, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, autophagy, and the tumor immune microenvironment, with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR), Wnt/β-catenin, and Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathways being the major mechanism links. Quality evaluation of Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus has progressed from single-marker assays to an integrated approach involving botanical authentication, chromatographic fingerprinting, multicomponent analysis, and evaluation of associations between blood-absorbed constituents and antitumor effects. Militarine and dactylorhin A can be used for botanical identification and batch evaluation, and in vivo exposure data from related orchids are concentrated on militarine. Quantitative associations between these constituents and antitumor effects remain to be established. Clinical evidence mainly focuses on formula-based applications and expert experience. Comparative antitumor data in hepatoma models are available for the commercial specifications of Maocigu and Bingqiuzi, whereas parallel evaluations of pharmacological effects, safety windows, and drug interactions among the three official botanical origins remain insufficient. The major limitations are the incomplete standardization of botanical origins and preparations and the lack of quantitative links among quality markers, systemic exposure, antitumor effects, and toxicity endpoints, which constrain reproducible pharmacological evaluation and clinical translation of Cremastrae Pseudobulbus/Pleiones Pseudobulbus.
3.Elucidating the role of artificial intelligence in drug development from the perspective of drug-target interactions
Boyang WANG ; Tingyu ZHANG ; Qingyuan LIU ; Chayanis SUTCHARITCHAN ; Ziyi ZHOU ; Dingfan ZHANG ; Shao LI
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(3):489-500
Drug development remains a critical issue in the field of biomedicine.With the rapid advancement of information technologies such as artificial intelligence(AI)and the advent of the big data era,AI-assisted drug development has become a new trend,particularly in predicting drug-target associations.To address the challenge of drug-target prediction,AI-driven models have emerged as powerful tools,of-fering innovative solutions by effectively extracting features from complex biological data,accurately modeling molecular interactions,and precisely predicting potential drug-target outcomes.Traditional machine learning(ML),network-based,and advanced deep learning architectures such as convolutional neural networks(CNNs),graph convolutional networks(GCNs),and transformers play a pivotal role.This review systematically compiles and evaluates AI algorithms for drug-and drug combination-target predictions,highlighting their theoretical frameworks,strengths,and limitations.CNNs effectively identify spatial patterns and molecular features critical for drug-target interactions.GCNs provide deep insights into molecular interactions via relational data,whereas transformers increase prediction accu-racy by capturing complex dependencies within biological sequences.Network-based models offer a systematic perspective by integrating diverse data sources,and traditional ML efficiently handles large datasets to improve overall predictive accuracy.Collectively,these AI-driven methods are transforming drug-target predictions and advancing the development of personalized therapy.This review summa-rizes the application of AI in drug development,particularly in drug-target prediction,and offers rec-ommendations on models and algorithms for researchers engaged in biomedical research.It also provides typical cases to better illustrate how AI can further accelerate development in the fields of biomedicine and drug discovery.
4.Network pharmacology: Advancing the application of large language models in traditional Chinese medicine research
Qingyuan LIU ; Dingfan ZHANG ; Boyang WANG ; Weibo ZHAO ; Tingyu ZHANG ; Chayanis SUTCHARITCHAN ; Shao LI
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;3(2):113-123
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is characterized by complex, multicomponent herbal formulations that challenge the conventional“one drug, one target” paradigm. Network pharmacology, through the construction of multilayered drug-target-disease networks, provides a systematic framework for unraveling TCM’s multitarget and multipathway mechanisms. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly large language models (LLMs), further enhance data integration, target identification, and clinical decision-making. This review synthesizes current progress in the application of network pharmacology and LLMs in TCM, highlighting their potential to deepen mechanistic insights and optimize drug discovery. By bridging traditional medical wisdom with modern computational tools, this integrative approach aims to advance the scientific validation of TCM and foster innovative healthcare solutions.
5.Impact of donor characteristics on prognosis for myelodysplastic syndromes after haplo-identical transplantation: a retrospective study
Hong WANG ; Xueqian LI ; Qingyuan WANG ; Jiaqian QI ; Huiying QIU ; Chengcheng FU ; Xiaowen TANG ; Miao MIAO ; Ying WANG ; Suning CHEN ; Changgeng RUAN ; Depei WU ; Yue HAN
Chinese Journal of Hematology 2025;46(11):1026-1031
Objective:To evaluate the impact of donor characteristics on the prognosis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients undergoing haplo-identical transplantation (HIDT) .Methods:A retrospective analysis of 203 MDS patients who received HIDT was conducted to evaluate how donor factors influenced transplant outcomes.Results:In MDS patients undergoing haploidentical transplantation, donors over 50 years were associated with higher EBV reactivation (2-year cumulative incidence 42.9% vs 22.0% for <50 years old; P=0.010). Female donors were linked to increased severe chronic GVHD compared with male donors (2-year incidence 11.9% vs 4.0% ; P=0.017). Additionally, 2-year overall survival (OS) was slightly lower with female donors than male donors (56.6% vs 69.7% ), but the difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.073). Donor-recipient blood type did not affect post-transplant OS or cumulative relapse rates. Donor-recipient kinship analysis revealed that child donors, compared to haploidentical sibling or parent donors, had lower rates of grade Ⅱ–Ⅳ acute GVHD (27.2% vs 45.7% vs 53.5%, P=0.007) and 2-year EBV reactivation (13.9% vs 29.3% vs 38.9%, P=0.001). For donors under 20 years, donor gender did not significantly affect 2-year OS ( P=0.913), relapse-free survival ( P=0.716), or 100-day incidence of grade Ⅱ–Ⅳ acute GVHD ( P=0.359) . Conclusion:For MDS patients undergoing HIDT, donors over 50 should be avoided. Male and child donors are preferred, while donor gender does not significantly affect outcomes if the donor is under 20 years old.
6.A multicenter clinical study on intramedullary vancomycin injection for preventing periprosthetic joint infection in total knee arthroplasty
Te LIU ; Jun FU ; Shiguang LAI ; Zhuo ZHANG ; Chi XU ; Lei GENG ; Yang LUO ; Peng REN ; Xin ZHI ; Quanbo JI ; Heng ZHANG ; Runkai ZHAO ; Haichao REN ; Ye TAO ; Qingyuan ZHENG ; Zeyu FENG ; Jianfeng YANG ; Yiming WANG ; Pengcheng LI ; Shuai LIU ; Wei CHAI ; Xiang LI ; Huiwu LI ; Xiaogang ZHANG ; Baochao JI ; Xianzhe LIU ; Xinzhan MAO ; Jianbing MA ; Xiangxiang SUN ; Jiying CHEN ; Yonggang ZHOU ; Jinliang WANG ; Weijun WANG ; Guoqiang ZHANG ; Ming NI
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedics 2025;45(12):803-811
Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of intraosseous regional administration (IORA) of vancomycin for preventing infection in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:A total of 124 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA between February 2024 and May 2024 at nine hospitals were enrolled. Preoperative infection prophylaxis involved either IORA (0.5 g vancomycin administered via intraosseous regional infusion before incision) or intravenous infusion (1 g vancomycin via peripheral vein). The IORA group included 15 males and 47 females with a median age of 66.5 years (range, 60.0-70.0 years), while the intravenous group included 14 males and 48 females with a median age of 66.0 years (range, 61.8-70.3 years) years. Intraoperative samples were collected including fat and synovium tissues after incision, before prosthesis placement, and after tourniquet release; distal femoral cancellous bone during femoral osteotomy; proximal tibial cancellous bone during tibial osteotomy; proximal intercondylar cancellous bone before prosthesis placement; and peripheral blood from non-infused arms at surgery initiation and after tourniquet release. Vancomycin concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Vital sign changes were recorded from admission to 5~10 minutes post-IORA (IORA group) or post-incision (intravenous group). Follow-ups were conducted on postoperative day 1 and 3, and at 1 and 3 months, to document complications including IORA-related adverse events, periprosthetic joint infections, surgical site infections, red man syndrome, acute kidney injury, deep vein thrombosis and so on.Results:Vancomycin concentrations in bone, fat, and synovial tissue samples were significantly higher in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05), while vancomycin concentrations in blood samples were significantly lower in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05). Only 7.3%(41/558) of tissue samples in the IORA group had vancomycin concentrations below 2.0 μg/g (the minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against coagulase-negative staphylococcus), compared to 59.3%(331/558) in the intravenous group (χ 2=11.285, P<0.001). In the intravenous group, 16.9%(21/124) of blood samples had vancomycin concentrations exceeding 15.0 mg/L (the threshold associated with a significantly increased risk of nephrotoxicity), while all concentrations in the IORA group were below this threshold, the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=22.943, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05) in vital signs changes before and after vancomycin administration between the two groups. Two patients in the intravenous group experienced incision exudate, while no other related complications occurred in either group. Conclusions:Compared to the traditional intravenous infusion of 1 g vancomycin, intraosseous injection of a low dose (0.5 g) of vancomycin achieves higher local tissue concentrations in the knee joint with a lower incidence of adverse reactions and is safe for infection prophylaxis. Despite guidelines not recommending the routine use of vancomycin for preventing infection after primary TKA, intraosseous injection of 0.5 g vancomycin may be considered intraoperatively for primary TKA in the following scenarios: patients in medical institutions with a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, patients with potential preoperative MRSA colonization, or patients with cephalosporin allergy.
7.Research progress of modern research on core pathogenesis based on the concept of combining disease and syndrome
An GUO ; Rujia WANG ; Luyan SUN ; Mengxue HE ; Qingyuan WU ; Juan LI ; Xiao YANG ; Zengtao SUN
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(4):561-565
By combining the origin and research progress of the combination of disease and syndrome, the core pathogenesis, this article explored the research ideas and methods of the core pathogenesis of TCM. It is found that modern TCM is mostly guided by the idea of classification-staging-syndrome differentiation, the main prescription of the main disease, the special prescription of the special disease, and the idea of "dynamic-fixed sequential". The tongue image syndrome differentiation method, clustering analysis method, drug test syndrome method, compound pathogenesis method, "evidence-based pathogenesis-syndrome treatment system" research model, and the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine theory were used to explore the core pathogenesis of TCM under the condition of disease. Combined with the advantages of modern medical disease differentiation and TCM syndrome differentiation, the individualized diagnosis and treatment methods of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine have been continuously improved, in order to solve the stage contradictions of different clinical stages, effectively delay the progression of the disease and improve the prognosis of the disease.
8.The outcome of HR-HPV infection and its relationship with cervical cytology in 478 patients with normal cervix in Hefei area
Qing Li ; Qingyuan Wang ; Wanying Zhang ; Wenyan Wang
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(1):173-179
Objective :
To investigate the factors affecting the outcome of high-risk human papillomavirus ( HR- HPV) infection in patients with normal cervix examined by colposcopy in Hefei area and the relationship between persistent HR-HPV infection and cervical cytology.
Methods :
Data of colposcopy patients were collected from 478 HR-HPV infected patients with normal cervix through colposcopy.Their age,number of sexual partners,contracep- tive methods and other relevant basic information were recorded.Vaginal interferon use,HR-HPV infection at year 1 and year 2,and cervical liquid-based cytology test ( LCT) results were tracked,univariate and multivariate ana- lyses were performed based on basic information,and ROC curves were plotted.
Results :
The HR-HPV clearance rate at 1 year was 59. 41% ,and the clearance rate at 2 years was 66. 75%.The other 12 types of infection ( 31, 33,35,39,45,51,52,56,58,59,66,68) were more common than the 16 and 18 types.Univariate and mult- ivariate analyses showed that age>50 years,number of sexual partners ≥2,and history of cervical conectomy in-
creased the risk of persistent HR-HPV infection ( χge = 21. 676,P <0. 001; χumber of sexual partners = 8. 262,P =0. 004; χistory of cervical conectomy = 11. 267,P = 0. 001 ) . The risk of HR-HPV infection was significantly lower when condom or vaginal interferon was used ( χondom use = 10. 885,P = 0. 001; χnterferon use = 4. 099,P = 0. 043) .The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of combined diagnosis of HR-HPV persistent infection was higher than that of single diagnosis,and the AUC of combined diagnosis was 0. 737.Persistent HR-HPV infection was an independent risk factor for abnormal LCT,and the AUC predicted by the model was 0. 755.No cancer was found in patients with persistent HR-HPV infection for 2 years,and the proportion of abnormal LCT was higher than that in patients with negative HR-HPV.The difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 39. 64,P<0. 001) .
Conclusion
The combined ROC model constructed for patients>50 years old,with multiple sexual partners,history of cervical surgery, no vaginal interferon use,and no condom use has certain value in predicting persistent HR-HPV infection,and per- sistent HR-HPV infection has predictive value in predicting LCT abnormalities.
9.Regulation and mechanism of Gm49394 on islet-β cell apoptosis
Dong LIU ; Qingyuan ZHAO ; Shushu YANG ; Mengjun ZHANG ; Jie LI ; Yuhao LI ; Li WANG ; Yuzhang WU
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(18):2211-2222
Objective To explore the potential role and underlying mechanism of the functionally uncharacterized gene Gm49394 on regulating β-cell apoptosis under diabetic conditions.Methods The expression and translational activity of Gm49394 in pancreatic β-cell lines and non-β-cell lines were validated using RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization(RNA-FISH),quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR),Western blotting,and immunofluorescence(IF)assay.The β-cell lines(NIT-1/Min6)with Gm49394 overexpression or knockdown were constructed.The proliferation,apoptosis,mitochondrial function,as well as oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress markers in these β-cell lines under physiological homeostasis or pathological stress conditions,such as high glucose(30 mmol/L),inflammation(10 ng/mL IFN-γ alone or combined with 10 ng/mL IL-6),and hydrogen peroxide(100 μmol/L H2O2)were detected by flow cytometry and Western blotting.Results RNA-FISH and qPCR indicated that Gm49394 was specifically expressed in pancreatic β-cell lines and up-regulated under high glucose or inflammatory stimulation.IF assay and Western blotting showed that Gm49394 had protein-coding activity.Flow cytometry and Western blotting identified that Gm49394 overexpression did not affect β-cell proliferation,but promoted β-cell apoptosis and increased reactive oxygen species(ROS)and mitochondrial superoxide(MitoSOX)levels in β cells under physiological homeostasis or pathological stress conditions(P<0.05).Under physiological conditions,Gm49394 knockdown failed to induce significant alterations on β-cell apoptosis,ROS,or MitoSOX levels.Under pathological stress conditions,Gm49394 knockdown significantly suppressed β-cell proliferation,apoptosis,as well as oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress(P<0.05).Conclusion Gm49394 may promote β-cell apoptosis via oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress.
10.IsoVISoR: Towards 3D Mesoscale Brain Mapping of Large Mammals at Isotropic Sub-micron Resolution.
Chao-Yu YANG ; Yan SHEN ; Xiaoyang QI ; Lufeng DING ; Yanyang XIAO ; Qingyuan ZHU ; Hao WANG ; Cheng XU ; Pak-Ming LAU ; Pengcheng ZHOU ; Fang XU ; Guo-Qiang BI
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(2):344-348


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