1.Pinelliae Rhizoma and Its Prescription Compatibility for Depression Treatment: A Review
Zhe XIE ; Yifan SHI ; Linzhe SU ; Ming BAI ; Yucheng LI ; Baoying WANG ; Erping XU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(9):284-293
Depression is a common mental disorder that falls under the category of "stagnation syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Its complex pathogenesis poses challenges for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Currently, clinically used antidepressants are often accompanied by significant side effects, and statistics show that about one-third of patients do not respond to these medications. TCM demonstrates advantages in the treatment of depression through multi-target, multi-pathway and multi-mechanistic approaches. Pinelliae Rhizoma, a phlegm-resolving herb, exhibits effects such as drying dampness and resolving phlegm, as well as eliminating stuffiness and reducing masses. The characteristics of harmonizing Yin and Yang and resolving stagnation in the middle energizer align precisely with the pathogenesis of depression syndrome, demonstrating therapeutic efficacy in affected patients. Literature studies have found that the active ingredients of Pinelliae Rhizoma, such as cavidine, baicalein, β-sitosterol, as well as Pinelliae Rhizoma herb pairs, such as Pinelliae Rhizoma-Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, Pinelliae Rhizoma-husked sorghum, Pinelliae Rhizoma-Prunellae Spica, exhibit significant antidepressant effects. Furthermore, TCM formulas containing Pinelliae Rhizoma as the principal therapeutic agent, such as Banxia Xiexin Tang, Banxia Houpo Tang, and Wendan Tang, as well as formulas incorporating Pinelliae Rhizoma like compound Xiaochaihu Tang, Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Tang, and Erchen Tang, have also demonstrated favorable antidepressant efficacy. The antidepressant mechanism of these agents may involve modulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) levels, up-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, reduction of oxidative stress, modulation of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, and inhibition of microglia-mediated inflammatory responses. This review summarized the antidepressant mechanisms and clinical applications of the active components, herb pairs, and TCM formulas containing Pinelliae Rhizoma, aiming to provide a reference for modern research on the use of Pinelliae Rhizoma in antidepressant therapy.
2.Predictive value of eosinophils in immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer
GAO Yuan1,2 ; SHI Hui1 ; CHEN Yilin1 ; ZHU Zhanli1,3 ; CHEN Ruohua1,4 ; ZHANG Wei1 ; DONG Yuchao1 ; BAI Chong1
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2026;33(3):296-312
[摘 要] 目的:探讨嗜酸性粒细胞(Eos)和其他循环血细胞和炎症指标在预测小细胞肺癌(SCLC)免疫治疗疗效和免疫相关不良反应(irAE)中的价值。方法:回顾分析2013年8月至2023年7月期间海军军医大学第一附属医院呼吸科收治的410例SCLC患者临床信息;在化疗或免疫治疗前,以及治疗后的3个周期,分别检测患者全血细胞计数和细胞因子等指标;记录irAE的发生时间、类型、分级,以及随访情况。结果: 接受化疗联合免疫检查点抑制剂(ICI)治疗(简称联合治疗)的患者116例,其中一线联合治疗患者91例、后线联合治疗25例。联合组患者的总有效率(ORR)为44.8%,疾病控制率(DCR)为90.5%,单用化疗(单化)组患者的ORR为38.4%,DCR为85.0%。联合组中位PFS为8.9(7.2~10.5)个月,中位OS为17.7(13.9~21.5)个月。将联合组与单化组行倾向得分匹配(PSM)法配对,对比二组治疗后3周期的绝对嗜酸性粒细胞计数(AEC)水平、相对嗜酸性粒细胞计数(REC)水平;计算历次复查Eos水平与基线Eos水平的比值(AECT1/0、AECT2/0、AECT3/0、RECT1/0、RECT2/0、RECT3/0),联合组的AECT3/0和RECT3/0显著高于单化组。单因素分析表明,基线AEC和REC的升高与较好的治疗至失败时间(TTF)和OS显著相关(P < 0.05);治疗后Eos水平与基线水平的比例(AECT3/0、RECT3/0)与较好的PFS和TTF显著相关(P < 0.05);RECT3/0升高同样与OS改善显著相关(P < 0.05)。多因素分析提示,AECT3/0 > 0.41与较好的PFS和TTF显著相关(P < 0.05);当RECT3/0 > 0.32时,与较好的PFS、TTF、OS均显著相关(P < 0.05);RECT3/0 > 0.27仅与较好的TTF、OS显著相关(P < 0.05)。亚组分析发现,缓解组的RECT3/0显著高于非缓解组(P < 0.05)。一线应用ICI与二线/后线应用ICI患者的PFS、TTF、OS无统计学差异,但一线应用ICI时ORR(50% vs 25%,P < 0.05)和DCR(93.48% vs 79.17%,P < 0.05)显著优于二线/后线。116例联合治疗患者发生43例irAE(35.34%), 最常见的为免疫相关性皮炎8.62%;Ⅲ级以上的irAE共17例(14.66%);因irAE停药10例(8.62%),死亡2例;发生irAE的患者PFS较未发生irAE的患者显著延长(P < 0.05),而TTF和OS无统计学差异。发生irAE患者的RECT3较未发生irAE患者显著升高(P < 0.05),AECT3/0 > 0.29的患者irAE发生率显著增高(P < 0.05)。结论: Eos是SCLC接受ICI治疗的保护性因素,通过监测AECT3/0、RECT3/0,并结合患者的临床病理生理特征、细胞因子和炎症标志物水平进行综合评估,可有效预测SCLC患者的免疫治疗疗效和irAE的发生。
3.Establishment and preliminary evaluation of a fluorescent recombinase-aided amplification assay for detection of Strongyloides stercoralis
Xiaodan CHEN ; Wanqiong CHENG ; Xiaoyin FU ; Jiayin LÜ ; Jiayue SUN ; Qiuhua BAI ; Xue HAN ; Yunliang SHI ; Dengyu LIU
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2026;38(2):160-168
Objective To establish a fluorescent recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) assay for detection of Strongyloides stercoralis nucleic acid and to preliminarily evaluate its performance. Methods Six sets of specific primers targeting S. stercoralis 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene and one fluorescent probe were designed and synthesized. The optimal primer-probe set was determined through systematic screening and optimization to establish the fluorescent RAA assay. The assay was evaluated using S. stercoralis genomic DNA at concentrations of 100, 10, and 1 pg/μL, and 100, 10, and 1 fg/μL, as well as recombinant pUC57 plasmids containing the target gene fragments at 1 × 105, 1 × 104, 1 × 103, 1 × 102, 1 × 101, 1 × 100 copies/reaction, to determine the analytical sensitivity. Genomic DNA from Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale, Enterobius vermicularis, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Trichinella spiralis, Clonorchis sinensis, Schistosoma japonicum, and Taenia saginata was used to assess assay specificity. A total of 25 stool samples from patients suspected of S. stercoralis infection were tested by the modified Baermann funnel technique, PCR, and the established fluorescent RAA assay. The sensitivity, specificity, concordance rate and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) of these three techniques were estimated, and agreement between methods was evaluated using the Kappa coefficient. Results Exo-4 was identified as the optimal primer set screened from the six primer sets, and the best amplification performance was achieved when the final concentrations of the forward and reverse primers were 0.44 μmol/L and a probe concentration was 0.20 μmol/L. The limit of detection of the fluorescent RAA assay was 100 fg/μL for genomic DNA of S. stercoralis and 1 × 100 copies/reaction for recombinant plasmids. Specific fluorescence signals were detected within 5 min, with no cross-reactivity observed with A. lumbricoides, A. duodenale, E. vermicularis, A. cantonensis, T. spiralis, C. sinensis, S. japonicum, or T. saginata. Among the 25 clinical stool samples from patients suspected of S. stercoralis infections, the modified Baermann funnel technique and fluorescent RAA assay detected 19 positives and 6 negatives, whereas PCR detected 18 positives and 7 negatives. The fluorescent RAA assay showed a sensitivity of 100.00% [95% CI: (82.35%, 100.00%)], specificity of 100.00% [95% CI: (54.07%, 100.00%)], concordance rate of 100.00% [95% CI: (86.28%, 100.00%)], and a Kappa coefficient of 1.00 [95% CI: (1.00, 1.00)] (P < 0.001) relative to the modified Baermann funnel technique, and a sensitivity of 100.00% [95% CI: (81.47%, 100.00%)], specificity of 85.71% [95% CI: (42.13%, 99.64%)], concordance rate of 96.00% [95% CI: (79.65%, 99.90%)], and a Kappa coefficient of 0.90 [95% CI: (0.70, 1.00)] (P < 0.001). Positive amplification products emitted green fluorescence under a portable blue-light device, enabling visual interpretation of results. Conclusions The fluorescent RAA assay established in this study is rapid, highly sensitive, and highly specific. It enables detection of S. stercoralis nucleic acid under isothermal conditions and allows visual interpretation of results, providing a novel tool for rapid clinical diagnosis and field screening of S. stercoralis infections.
4.Efficacy and safety of different daily doses of aspirin in prevention of preeclampsia:a meta-analysis
Xiaoxia SHI ; Yan BAI ; Liting RONG ; Yuanjie DU ; Lijuan YUAN
China Pharmacy 2025;36(21):2733-2737
OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of different daily doses of aspirin in the prevention of preeclampsia (PE). METHODS The case-control studies and prospective randomized controlled trials on aspirin with daily dose ≥ 100 mg (trial group) vs. <100 mg (control group) in the prevention of PE were retrieved from PubMed, Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, China Biomedical Literatue Database and Wanfang Data from base-building to January 2025. After literature screening, data extraction and quality evaluation, meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS A total of 11 literatures were included, involving 3 052 pregnant women. Meta-analysis showed the incidence of PE [RR=0.63, 95%CI (0.53,0.76), P<0.000 01], gestational hypertension [RR=0.69, 95%CI (0.50,0.94),P=0.02], preterm birth [RR=0.56, 95%CI (0.47,0.66), P<0.000 01], and intrauterine growth retardation [RR=0.73,95%CI (0.61,0.87),P=0.000 5] in trial groups were significantly lower than control group. The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage between the two groups had no statistically significant difference [RR=1.17, 95%CI (0.90,1.53),P=0.25]. Subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of PE in Chinese pregnant women taking 150 mg of aspirin was significantly higher than taking 100 mg of aspirin [RR=3.40, 95%CI (1.29, 8.93), P=0.01]; but there was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidences of postpartum hemorrhage, preterm birth (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Aspirin with daily dose ≥100 mg is more effective in preventing PE than daily dose <100 mg, with lower rates of gestational hypertension, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth retardation. It does not increase the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. For pregnant women in China, daily dose 100 mg of aspirin may be more effective in preventing PE than 150 mg.
5.Assessment of the implementation of Radiation shielding requirements for radiotherapy room—Part 4: Radiotherapy room of 252Cf neutron afterloading (GBZ/T 201.4-2015)
Yuze YANG ; Hongfang WANG ; Haoxian YANG ; Quan WU ; Mingsheng LI ; Bala HARI ; Yongzhong MA ; Zechen FENG ; Bin BAI ; Jie GAO ; Wei ZHOU ; Weixu HUANG ; Zhengjie SHI ; Hezheng ZHAI
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2025;34(5):660-665
Objective To track and evaluate the implementation and application of the occupational health standard Radiation shielding requirements for radiotherapy room—Part 4: Radiotherapy room of 252Cf neutron afterloading (GBZ/T 201.4-2015) by radiation health technical service agencies, medical institutions, health supervision agencies, and radiotherapy facility design units, and to provide a scientific basis for the further revision and implementation of this standard. Methods Following the Guideline for health standards tracking evaluation (WS/T 536-2017) and the project implementation plan, relevant practitioners were randomly selected for a questionnaire survey. The survey primarily focused on their awareness, standard training, application, and revision suggestions of GBZ/T 201.4-2015. The results were summarized and analyzed. Results A total of 168 evaluation questionnaires were collected from relevant practitioners in 28 provinces. Only 31.6% of the respondents reported being “well familiar” or “ familiar” with the standard, 27.4% of the respondents believed that the standard was widely used, and 45.2% of the respondents believed that the standard could meet the needs of their work. Only 14.9% of the respondents had received relevant training on the standard, more than half of the respondents had not applied the standard within the past 10 years, and 45.2% of the respondents believed that the standard "needs to be revised". Conclusion Due to the small number of californium-252 neutron afterloading radiotherapy devices in operation on the market, the overall awareness of the standard is low, suggesting that relevant authorities need to strengthen training and publicity of the standard, and that certain sections of the standard need to be revised or merged.
6.Telpegfilgrastim for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in breast cancer: A multicenter, randomized, phase 3 study.
Yuankai SHI ; Qingyuan ZHANG ; Junsheng WANG ; Zhong OUYANG ; Tienan YI ; Jiazhuan MEI ; Xinshuai WANG ; Zhidong PEI ; Tao SUN ; Junheng BAI ; Shundong CANG ; Yarong LI ; Guohong FU ; Tianjiang MA ; Huaqiu SHI ; Jinping LIU ; Xiaojia WANG ; Hongrui NIU ; Yanzhen GUO ; Shengyu ZHOU ; Li SUN
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(4):496-498
7.COVID-19 outcomes in patients with pre-existing interstitial lung disease: A national multi-center registry-based study in China.
Xinran ZHANG ; Bingbing XIE ; Huilan ZHANG ; Yanhong REN ; Qun LUO ; Junling YANG ; Jiuwu BAI ; Xiu GU ; Hong JIN ; Jing GENG ; Shiyao WANG ; Xuan HE ; Dingyuan JIANG ; Jiarui HE ; Sa LUO ; Shi SHU ; Huaping DAI
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(9):1126-1128
8.New strategy and method in traditional Chinese medicine compatibility for detoxification based on component-target-effect interaction.
Zhao-Fang BAI ; Wei SHI ; Yuan GAO ; Jia-Bo WANG ; Xiao-He XIAO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(4):853-859
The safety of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has always been taken very seriously, and rich and valuable theories and experiences have been developed to ensure the safe and precise use of TCM in clinical practices. In recent years, the cognitive theory of toxicity of TCM, has undergone a profound change. TCM is characterized by the existence of intrinsic toxicity, idiosyncratic toxicity, and indirect toxicity related to organic factors. Therefore, the traditional theories and experiences of TCM, which focus on the prevention and control of intrinsic toxicity, fail to be used for the development of risk prevention and control countermeasures for newly discovered TCM with idiosyncratic toxicity and indirect toxicity. Accordingly, based on the toxicity classification and mechanism characteristics of TCM, this paper proposed a new strategy and method in TCM compatibility for detoxification based on componenttarget-effect interaction. The strategy based on component-target-effect interaction is to carry out TCM compatibility for detoxification by blocking the occurrence of drug-mediated damage and promoting damage repair through component interactions, target interactions,and/or effect interactions. Based on this theory, the paper established a strategy for TCM compatibility that aligned with the cognitive theory of toxicity of TCM, so as to achieve safe and precise use of TCM in clinical practices. The strategy based on component-targeteffect interaction has been exemplarily applied to the development of countermeasures to reduce the toxicity of TCM, including Polygonum Multiflorum, Epimedii Folium, and Psoraleae Fructus, and a new mechanism of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to " harmonize various medicines and detoxify myriad poisons" was illustrated, providing a scientific basis for the safe and precise use of TCM in clinical practice. This paper explained the scientific connotation, application forms, and application examples of componenttarget-effect interaction, aiming to provide a theoretical and methodological basis for guaranteeing the precise use of TCM in clinical practice and innovate the theories and methods of TCM compatibility for detoxification.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
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Humans
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
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Animals
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Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/prevention & control*
9.Effects of drought stress training on polysaccharide accumulation and drought resistance of Codonopsis pilosula.
Lu-Lu WANG ; Xiao-Lin WANG ; Zhe-Yu LIU ; Li-Zhen WANG ; Jia-Tong SHI ; Jiao-Jiao JI ; Jian-Ping GAO ; Yun-E BAI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(3):672-681
In order to clarify the effects of drought stress training on the quality and drought resistance of Codonopsis pilosula, this study used PEG to simulate drought stress and employed potting with water control for the drought stress training of C. pilosula plants. The polysaccharide content, secondary metabolites, antioxidant system, and photosynthetic pigment system of C. pilosula after drought stress training were analyzed. The results showed that the content of fructans in the root of C. pilosula increased after two rounds of drought stress treatment, and it was significantly higher than that of the control group. The accumulation of fructans in the root of C. pilosula showed an upward trend during the rehydration treatment. The content of lobetyolin and tangshenoside Ⅰ increased after drought stress treatment compared with that of the control group. The rehydration treatment caused first increasing and then decreasing in the content of lobetyolin, while it had no significant effect on the tangshenoside Ⅰcontent. The content of photosynthetic pigments decreased after drought stress treatment, and it gradually increased during the first round of rehydration and the second round of rehydration. Moreover, the increase was faster in the second round of rehydration than in the first round of rehydration. The content of the peroxidation product malondialdehyde(MDA) and the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD), peroxidase(POD), and catalase(CAT) increased after drought stress treatment compared with those of the control group, and they showed a tendency of decreasing during rehydration. Moreover, the decrease was faster in the second round of rehydration than in the first round of rehydration. When the plants of C. pilosula after drought stress training were again subjected to severe drought stress, the wilting rate decreased significantly, and the biomass increases significantly. This study showed that the drought stress training could promote the accumulation of polysaccharides and secondary metabolites in the root of C. pilosula. When encountering drought stress again, C. pilosula plants could quickly regulate the antioxidant system and delay the decomposition of chlorophyll to respond to drought stress. The findings provide a theoretical basis for the ecological cultivation of C. pilosula in arid and semi-arid areas.
Codonopsis/growth & development*
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Droughts
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Polysaccharides/metabolism*
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Stress, Physiological
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Water/metabolism*
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Antioxidants/metabolism*
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Photosynthesis
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Drought Resistance
10.Glycyrrhetinic acid combined with doxorubicin induces apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells by regulating ERMMDs.
Ming-Shi PANG ; Xiu-Yun BAI ; Jue YANG ; Rong-Jun DENG ; Xue-Qin YANG ; Yuan-Yan LIU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(11):3088-3096
This study investigates the effect of glycyrrhetinic acid(GA) combined with doxorubicin(DOX) on apoptosis in HepG2 cells and its possible mechanisms. HepG2 cells were cultured in vitro, and cell viability was assessed using the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) method. Flow cytometry was used to measure apoptosis levels in HepG2 cells. The cells were divided into the following groups: control group(0 μmol·L~(-1)), DOX group(2 μmol·L~(-1)), GA group(150 μmol·L~(-1)), and DOX + GA combination group(2 μmol·L~(-1) DOX + 150 μmol·L~(-1) GA), with treatments given for 24 hours. The colocalization level between the endoplasmic reticulum(ER) and mitochondria was assessed by colocalization fluorescence imaging. Fluorescence probes were used to measure the Ca~(2+) content in the ER and mitochondria. The qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to determine the mRNA and protein expression of sirtuin-3(SIRT3). Co-immunoprecipitation(CO-IP) was applied to investigate the interactions between voltage-dependent anion channel 1(VDAC1) and SIRT3, as well as between VDAC1, glucose-regulated protein 75(GRP75), and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor(IP3R). The results showed that the combination of DOX and GA promoted apoptosis in HepG2 liver cancer cells. The colocalization level between the ER and mitochondria was significantly reduced, the Ca~(2+) content in the ER was significantly increased, and the Ca~(2+) content in the mitochondria was significantly decreased. The relative expression of VDAC1, GRP75, and IP3R was significantly reduced, and interactions between VDAC1, GRP75, and IP3R were observed. SIRT3 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly increased, and an interaction between SIRT3 and VDAC1 was detected. The acetylation level of VDAC1 was significantly decreased. In conclusion, GA combined with DOX induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells by mediating the deacetylation of VDAC1 through SIRT3, weakening the interactions among VDAC1, GRP75, and IP3R. This regulates the formation of endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial membrane domains(ERMMDs), affects Ca~(2+) transport between the ER and mitochondria, and ultimately triggers cell apoptosis.
Humans
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Apoptosis/drug effects*
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Hep G2 Cells
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Glycyrrhetinic Acid/pharmacology*
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Doxorubicin/pharmacology*
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Liver Neoplasms/genetics*
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/physiopathology*
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Mitochondria/metabolism*
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Endoplasmic Reticulum/metabolism*
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Cell Survival/drug effects*
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Membrane Proteins/genetics*

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