1.Mechanism of Qushi huoxue decoction in improving metabolic-associated fatty liver disease through the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 autophagy signaling pathway
Xiaoqian GONG ; Weiqiang TAN ; Yehuang WEI ; Rongrong WANG ; Yanfang TANG ; Xudong LIU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(16):2105-2111
OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of Qushi huoxue decoction in improving metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) based on the AMP-activated protein kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin/UNC-51-like kinase 1 (AMPK/mTOR/ULK1) autophagy signaling pathway.METHODS Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal group, model group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose Qushi huoxue decoction groups [4.10, 8.20, 16.40 mg/(g·d)], with 10 mice in each group. Except for the normal group, mice in the other groups were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish the MAFLD model. Starting 24 hours after modeling, mice in each group were administered the drug solution or normal saline once daily for 6 consecutive weeks. Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transferase (AST), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were detected according to the kit instructions. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and oil red O staining were used to observe pathological changes in mouse liver tissue. Western blot and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect the expression and positive protein expression related to the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 autophagy signaling pathway.RESULTS Compared with the normal group, the serum levels of TC, TG, ALT, AST, and LDL-C in the model group were significantly increased, while the HDL-C level was significantly decreased ( P <0.01). HE staining showed obvious steatosis in hepatocytes of the model group, and oil red O staining showed a large amount of lipid droplet accumulation in liver tissue. Western blot and immunofluorescence staining results showed that the expression levels of p-mTOR/mTOR and p62 proteins, as well as the relative fluorescence intensities of p-mTOR and p62 proteins in liver tissue of the model group, were significantly increased/enhanced ( P <0.01), while the expression levels of p-AMPK/AMPK, ULK1, and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3Ⅱ (LC3Ⅱ) proteins, as well as the relative fluorescence intensities of p-AMPK and LC3 proteins, were significantly decreased/weakened ( P <0.01). After intervention with Qushi huoxue decoction, the above pathological changes and abnormal indicators in liver tissue of mice in the low-, medium-, and high-dose groups were significantly reversed, with most indicators showing statistically significant differences ( P <0.05 or P <0.01).CONCLUSIONS Qushi huoxue decoction can significantly improve liver pathology, blood lipid levels, and liver function in MAFLD model mice; this improvement may be achieved through the activation of the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 autophagy signaling pathway.
2."Weibing" in traditional Chinese medicine-biological basis and mathematical representation of disease-susceptible state.
Wanyang SUN ; Rong WANG ; Shuhua OUYANG ; Wanli LIANG ; Junwei DUAN ; Wenyong GONG ; Lianting HU ; Xiujuan CHEN ; Yifang LI ; Hiroshi KURIHARA ; Xinsheng YAO ; Hao GAO ; Rongrong HE
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(5):2363-2371
"Weibing" is a fundamental concept in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), representing a transitional state characterized by diminished self-regulatory abilities without overt physiological or social dysfunction. This perspective delves into the biological foundations and quantifiable markers of Weibing, aiming to establish a research framework for early disease intervention. Here, we propose the "Health Quadrant Classification" system, which divides the state of human body into health, sub-health, disease-susceptible state, and disease. We suggest the disease-susceptible stage emerges as a pivotal point for TCM interventions. To understand the intrinsic dynamics of this state, we propose laboratory and clinical studies utilizing time-series experiments and stress-induced disease susceptibility models. At the molecular level, bio-omics technologies and bioinformatics approaches are highlighted for uncovering intricate changes during disease progression. Furthermore, we discuss the application of mathematical models and artificial intelligence in developing early warning systems to anticipate and avert the transition from health to disease. This approach resonates with TCM's preventive philosophy, emphasizing proactive health maintenance and disease prevention. Ultimately, our perspective underscores the significance of integrating modern scientific methodologies with TCM principles to propel Weibing research and early intervention strategies forward.
3.Application of f-wave to QRS complex amplitude ratio in PICC tip positioning for patients with atrial fibrillation
Lihua SHI ; Rongrong YANG ; Lihong LIAO ; Jing GUO ; Qiu SUN ; Yuanyuan GONG ; Jiabao YE ; Jianfang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(13):1553-1557
Objective To evaluate the clinical utility of the f-wave to QRS complex amplitude ratio(f/R ratio)in intracardiac electrogram(IC-ECG)-guided positioning of peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)tips in patients with atrial fibrillation(AF),providing evidence to enhance clinical practice.Methods This study employed a conve-nience sampling method to enroll eligible AF patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Suzhou from July 2023 to July 2024.During PICC placement,IC-ECG was utilized to monitor f-wave and QRS complex amplitude variations.Following successful catheterization,the f/R ratio was measured,and chest X-ray was performed to confirm the catheter tip position.The accuracy of PICC tip positioning across different f/R ratio ranges was analyzed,and the incidence of arrhythmias was recorded.A receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to assess the diag-nostic performance of the f/R ratio in PICC tip localization.Results A total of 68 AF patients were included,with f/R ratios ranging from 20.63%to 91.24%.PICC tip positioning accuracy varied significantly across different f/R ratio ranges(P=0.006).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)for f/R ratio in PICC tip positioning was 0.784(P=0.009),with a maximum Youden index of 0.567,an optimal diagnostic threshold of 40.00%,a sensitivity of 81.7%,a speci-ficity of 75.0%,a positive predictive value of 96.1%,and a negative predictive value of 35.3%.No arrhythmias other than AF occurred during the procedure.Conclusion The f/R ratio provides reliable and safe guidance for PICC tip positioning in AF patients.An f/R ratio ≥40%is associated with higher accuracy in identifying the optimal catheter tip position.
4.The diagnostic value of CT radiomics combined with PIVKA-Ⅱ for hepatocellular carcinoma in the background of liver cirrhosis
Xiaofeng YANG ; Rongrong ZHU ; Jindan GONG ; Ke ZHANG ; Chuanguo LÜ
Journal of Practical Radiology 2025;41(6):984-988
Objective To explore the diagnostic value of CT radiomics combined with prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ)for hepatocellular carcinoma in the background of liver cirrhosis.Methods The clinical and CT imaging data of patients with liver cirrhosis were analyzed retrospectively.Hepatocellular carcinoma was observed in the observation group,and no hepatocellular carcinoma was found in the control group.Logistic regression was used to analyze the clinical factors of hepatocellular carcinoma and a Clinic model was constructed.Support vector machine(SVM)was used to construct the optimal feature model(Rad model).An artificial neural network model(Combine model)was built based on Softmax policy using Python3.6.Results The degree of liver cirrhosis,aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)and PIVKA-Ⅱ were independent factors for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma(P<0.05).The sensitivity and specificity of the clinical logistic regression model were 73.15%and 68.34%,respectively.The SVM model was used to construct Radiomics score(Radscore)containing 7 optimal features,and there were significant differences between the two groups(P<0.001).DeLong test showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of Combine model was significantly higher than that of Rad model and Clinic model(P<0.05).The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the Combine model agrees well.Decision curve analysis showed that the curves of Combine model were significantly higher than Clinic model,Rad model and the extreme curve.Conclusion The Combine model based on CT radiomics combined with clinical factors can accurately predict the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in the background of liver cirrhosis.
5.Development and clinical application value of an artificial intelligence-assisted system for calculating effective colonoscopy withdrawal time
Rongrong GONG ; Liwen YAO ; Lianlian WU ; Huiling WU ; Xun LI ; Honggang YU ; Xiangwu DING
Chinese Journal of Digestive Endoscopy 2025;42(1):42-46
Objective:To develop an artificial intelligence (AI) calculation system for the effective withdrawal time of colonoscopy and to evaluate its clinical application value.Methods:First, 17 118 colonoscopy pictures from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University were used for training and testing to establish a deep convolutional neural network model to recognize various colonoscopy fields. Then this model was integrated with the internal and external recognition model and cecum recognition model developed by the research group to create an AI system for automatic calculation of the effective withdrawal time. Finally, 944 colonoscopy videos from the Endoscopy Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from July 1, 2020 to October 10, 2020 were included in a retrospective analysis. AI automatic computing system was used to calculate the effective withdrawal time, and 89 of them were manually calculated to evaluate the accuracy of the AI automatic computing system. The remaining 855 cases were divided into two groups according to AI calculations, namely, the effective withdrawal time <6 min group ( n=615) and the effective withdrawal time ≥6 min group ( n=240), and the differences in the overall detection rate of adenoma and polyp were compared and analyzed. Results:The accuracy of AI automatic calculation system for effective withdrawal time reached 92.1% (82/89). The overall adenoma detection rate in the group with effective withdrawal time ≥6 min was 37.5% (90/240), that in the group with effective withdrawal time <6 min was 19.0% (117/615), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=32.11, P<0.001). The overall polyp detection rate in the group with effective withdrawal time ≥6 min was 75.0% (180/240), and that in the group with effective withdrawal time <6 min was 45.2% (278/615), with statistical significance ( χ2=61.62, P<0.001). Conclusion:AI automatic computing system can accurately calculate the effective withdrawal time of colonoscopy, and can be used to monitor the effective withdrawal time of clinical colonoscopy. In addition, effective withdrawal time ≥6 min can effectively improve the detection rate of adenoma and polyps.
6.The diagnostic value of CT radiomics combined with PIVKA-Ⅱ for hepatocellular carcinoma in the background of liver cirrhosis
Xiaofeng YANG ; Rongrong ZHU ; Jindan GONG ; Ke ZHANG ; Chuanguo LÜ
Journal of Practical Radiology 2025;41(6):984-988
Objective To explore the diagnostic value of CT radiomics combined with prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ)for hepatocellular carcinoma in the background of liver cirrhosis.Methods The clinical and CT imaging data of patients with liver cirrhosis were analyzed retrospectively.Hepatocellular carcinoma was observed in the observation group,and no hepatocellular carcinoma was found in the control group.Logistic regression was used to analyze the clinical factors of hepatocellular carcinoma and a Clinic model was constructed.Support vector machine(SVM)was used to construct the optimal feature model(Rad model).An artificial neural network model(Combine model)was built based on Softmax policy using Python3.6.Results The degree of liver cirrhosis,aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)and PIVKA-Ⅱ were independent factors for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma(P<0.05).The sensitivity and specificity of the clinical logistic regression model were 73.15%and 68.34%,respectively.The SVM model was used to construct Radiomics score(Radscore)containing 7 optimal features,and there were significant differences between the two groups(P<0.001).DeLong test showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of Combine model was significantly higher than that of Rad model and Clinic model(P<0.05).The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the Combine model agrees well.Decision curve analysis showed that the curves of Combine model were significantly higher than Clinic model,Rad model and the extreme curve.Conclusion The Combine model based on CT radiomics combined with clinical factors can accurately predict the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in the background of liver cirrhosis.
7.Application of f-wave to QRS complex amplitude ratio in PICC tip positioning for patients with atrial fibrillation
Lihua SHI ; Rongrong YANG ; Lihong LIAO ; Jing GUO ; Qiu SUN ; Yuanyuan GONG ; Jiabao YE ; Jianfang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(13):1553-1557
Objective To evaluate the clinical utility of the f-wave to QRS complex amplitude ratio(f/R ratio)in intracardiac electrogram(IC-ECG)-guided positioning of peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)tips in patients with atrial fibrillation(AF),providing evidence to enhance clinical practice.Methods This study employed a conve-nience sampling method to enroll eligible AF patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Suzhou from July 2023 to July 2024.During PICC placement,IC-ECG was utilized to monitor f-wave and QRS complex amplitude variations.Following successful catheterization,the f/R ratio was measured,and chest X-ray was performed to confirm the catheter tip position.The accuracy of PICC tip positioning across different f/R ratio ranges was analyzed,and the incidence of arrhythmias was recorded.A receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to assess the diag-nostic performance of the f/R ratio in PICC tip localization.Results A total of 68 AF patients were included,with f/R ratios ranging from 20.63%to 91.24%.PICC tip positioning accuracy varied significantly across different f/R ratio ranges(P=0.006).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)for f/R ratio in PICC tip positioning was 0.784(P=0.009),with a maximum Youden index of 0.567,an optimal diagnostic threshold of 40.00%,a sensitivity of 81.7%,a speci-ficity of 75.0%,a positive predictive value of 96.1%,and a negative predictive value of 35.3%.No arrhythmias other than AF occurred during the procedure.Conclusion The f/R ratio provides reliable and safe guidance for PICC tip positioning in AF patients.An f/R ratio ≥40%is associated with higher accuracy in identifying the optimal catheter tip position.
8.Development and clinical application value of an artificial intelligence-assisted system for calculating effective colonoscopy withdrawal time
Rongrong GONG ; Liwen YAO ; Lianlian WU ; Huiling WU ; Xun LI ; Honggang YU ; Xiangwu DING
Chinese Journal of Digestive Endoscopy 2025;42(1):42-46
Objective:To develop an artificial intelligence (AI) calculation system for the effective withdrawal time of colonoscopy and to evaluate its clinical application value.Methods:First, 17 118 colonoscopy pictures from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University were used for training and testing to establish a deep convolutional neural network model to recognize various colonoscopy fields. Then this model was integrated with the internal and external recognition model and cecum recognition model developed by the research group to create an AI system for automatic calculation of the effective withdrawal time. Finally, 944 colonoscopy videos from the Endoscopy Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from July 1, 2020 to October 10, 2020 were included in a retrospective analysis. AI automatic computing system was used to calculate the effective withdrawal time, and 89 of them were manually calculated to evaluate the accuracy of the AI automatic computing system. The remaining 855 cases were divided into two groups according to AI calculations, namely, the effective withdrawal time <6 min group ( n=615) and the effective withdrawal time ≥6 min group ( n=240), and the differences in the overall detection rate of adenoma and polyp were compared and analyzed. Results:The accuracy of AI automatic calculation system for effective withdrawal time reached 92.1% (82/89). The overall adenoma detection rate in the group with effective withdrawal time ≥6 min was 37.5% (90/240), that in the group with effective withdrawal time <6 min was 19.0% (117/615), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=32.11, P<0.001). The overall polyp detection rate in the group with effective withdrawal time ≥6 min was 75.0% (180/240), and that in the group with effective withdrawal time <6 min was 45.2% (278/615), with statistical significance ( χ2=61.62, P<0.001). Conclusion:AI automatic computing system can accurately calculate the effective withdrawal time of colonoscopy, and can be used to monitor the effective withdrawal time of clinical colonoscopy. In addition, effective withdrawal time ≥6 min can effectively improve the detection rate of adenoma and polyps.

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