1.Olfactory Receptors Expressed in The Intestine and Their Functions
Pei-Wen YANG ; Meng-Meng YUAN ; Ying ZHOU ; Peng LI ; Gui-Hong QI ; Ying YANG ; Zhong-Yi MAO ; Meng-Sha ZHOU ; Xiao-Shuang MAO ; Jian-Ping XIE ; Yi-Nan YANG ; Shi-Hao SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):534-549
Olfactory receptors (ORs) form the largest superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Traditionally recognized for their role in the nasal olfactory epithelium, where they mediate the sense of smell, accumulating evidence has firmly established their ectopic expression in non-olfactory tissues, including the intestine, lungs, and kidneys. The intestine, as the primary site for nutrient digestion and absorption, harbors a highly complex chemical environment. To adapt to this environment, the gut employs a sophisticated network of “chemosensors” to monitor luminal contents and maintain homeostasis. Among these sensors, intestinal ORs have emerged as crucial functional components, serving as a molecular bridge that connects environmental chemical signals—such as food-derived odorants—to specific physiological responses. This discovery has significantly deepened our understanding of how dietary flavors and compounds influence intestinal physiology at the molecular level. This review systematically summarizes the expression profiles, ligand classification, and biological functions of ORs within the gastrointestinal tract. Studies indicate that intestinal ORs exhibit distinct spatial distribution patterns across different gut segments and display cell-type specificity, particularly within enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells. These receptors function as versatile sensors capable of recognizing a wide variety of ligands, including exogenous dietary components, gut microbiota metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, and endogenous small molecules like azelaic acid. Upon activation by specific ligands, intestinal ORs trigger intracellular signaling cascades, primarily involving the AC-cAMP-PKA pathway or calcium influx channels. A major focus of this review is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which these receptors regulate the secretion of gut hormones. Activation of specific ORs in enteroendocrine cells has been shown to stimulate the release of hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and serotonin (5-HT), thereby modulating systemic energy metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and gastrointestinal motility. Furthermore, the review addresses the critical roles of ORs in immune regulation and pathology. Evidence suggests that specific ORs contribute to the maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis and may offer protection against inflammation. Beyond their involvement in inflammatory responses, ORs such as Olfr78 have been shown to regulate the differentiation and function of intestinal endocrine cells. Similarly, Olfr544 has been demonstrated to alleviate intestinal inflammation by remodeling the gut microbiome and metabolome. These findings collectively suggest that specific ORs hold promise as therapeutic targets for mitigating intestinal inflammation and maintaining gut homeostasis. Additionally, the review explores the emerging role of ORs in cancer. Although OR expression is often downregulated in tumor tissues compared to normal mucosa, activation of specific ORs by certain ligands can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and migration and induce apoptosis via pathways such as MEK/ERK and p38 MAPK. Conversely, other receptors, such as OR7C1, may serve as biomarkers for cancer-initiating cells. In conclusion, intestinal ORs represent a vital component of the gut’s sensory network. The review also discusses the translational potential of these findings. By elucidating the precise pairing relationships between dietary components and specific ORs, novel therapeutic strategies could be developed. Intestinal ORs may thus emerge as promising targets for nutritional and pharmacological interventions in metabolic diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, and malignancies.
2.Latent classes of peer victimization among junior high school students and the association with non-suicidal self-injury behavior
SHI Antai, XIE Yaofei, WU Taimin, ZHOU Yang
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(2):222-226
Objective:
To explore the latent classes of peer victimization among junior high school students, and to analyze the association between the characteristics of different classes and non suicidal self injury(NSSI) behavior,so as to provide scientific basis for the prevention and intervention of NSSI behavior among junior high school students.
Methods:
A census method was used to select 19 738 students from 16 junior high schools in a central urban area of Wuhan as research subjects from November to December 2024. The Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale and a self designed NSSI questionnaire were used to assess peer victimization and NSSI behaviors. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify latent classes of peer victimization among students by sex. Binary Logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between latent classes of peer victimization and NSSI behavior among junior high school students of different genders.
Results:
Latent patterns of peer victimization among boys were classified into 4 groups:no victimization group (85.8%, n =8 874), low victimization-verbal type group (6.6%, n =682), low victimization-mixed type group (5.7%, n =587) and high victimization group (1.9%, n =195); girls were classified into 4 groups:no victimization group (87.0%, n =8 179), low victimization group (7.5%, n =702), high victimization-social type group (3.8%, n =360) and high victimization-physical type group (1.7%, n =159). After controlling for only child status, place of residence, parenting style, and self rated family socioeconomic status, binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of NSSI behavior among boys increased sequentially in the low victimization-verbal type group( OR =4.14, 95% CI =3.22-5.31), low victimization-mixed type group ( OR =4.75, 95% CI =3.68-6.13), and high victimization group ( OR =8.26, 95% CI =5.83-11.71) compared to the no victimization group; the risks of NSSI behavior among girls increased sequentially in the low victimization group ( OR =3.06, 95% CI = 2.51-3.72), high victimization-social type group ( OR =4.01, 95% CI =3.13-5.15), and high victimization-physical type group ( OR =6.18, 95% CI =4.38-8.73) compared to the no victimization group (all P <0.05).
Conclusions
There are gender differences in the latent classes of peer victimization among junior high school students and the risk of NSSI behavior varies across different victimization classes. Targeted prevention and intervention should be implemented based on the gender of junior high school students and the characteristics of peer victimization students experience.
3.Construction and application of the "Huaxi Hongyi" large medical model
Rui SHI ; Bing ZHENG ; Xun YAO ; Hao YANG ; Xuchen YANG ; Siyuan ZHANG ; Zhenwu WANG ; Dongfeng LIU ; Jing DONG ; Jiaxi XIE ; Hu MA ; Zhiyang HE ; Cheng JIANG ; Feng QIAO ; Fengming LUO ; Jin HUANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(05):587-593
Objective To construct large medical model named by "Huaxi HongYi"and explore its application effectiveness in assisting medical record generation. Methods By the way of a full-chain medical large model construction paradigm of "data annotation - model training - scenario incubation", through strategies such as multimodal data fusion, domain adaptation training, and localization of hardware adaptation, "Huaxi HongYi" with 72 billion parameters was constructed. Combined with technologies such as speech recognition, knowledge graphs, and reinforcement learning, an application system for assisting in the generation of medical records was developed. Results Taking the assisted generation of discharge records as an example, in the pilot department, after using the application system, the average completion times of writing a medical records shortened (21 min vs. 5 min) with efficiency increased by 3.2 time, the accuracy rate of the model output reached 92.4%. Conclusion It is feasible for medical institutions to build independently controllable medical large models and incubate various applications based on these models, providing a reference pathway for artificial intelligence development in similar institutions.
4.Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome distribution and influencing factors in 385 cases of interstitial lung disease
Jiayi MA ; Liming FAN ; Zhengyu XIE ; Xiawei SHI ; Tianyu SI ; Junchao YANG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(6):751-760
Objective:
To explore the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and its influencing factors.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 385 patients with ILD admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine) from January 2018 to June 2022. Data on sex, age, body mass index, smoking history, respiratory rate, hospitalization time, treatment cost, whether velcro rales can be heard, comorbidities with rheumatic immune diseases, TCM four examination information, and clinical examination results, including CT imaging, D-dimer level, and lung function-related indicators, were collected. The distribution pattern of TCM syndromes in patients with ILD and the association between TCM syndromes and clinical indicators were analyzed using the cluster analysis and binary Logistic regression analysis.
Results:
Among the 385 patients with ILD, sticky phlegm (59.74%) and shortness of breath (56.10%) were common symptoms, while greasy tongue coating (55.32%), red tongue (52.73%), and slippery and rapid pulse (25.71%) were common tongue and pulse manifestations. The patients were divided into five syndromes using cluster analysis: syndrome of phlegm-heat stagnation in the lung (36.62%), syndrome of turbid phlegm obstructing lung (29.35%), syndrome of deficiency of both qi and yin (12.99%), syndrome of qi deficiency of lung and kidney (11.95%), and syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis obstructing lung (9.09%). The D-dimer level was lower in patients with syndrome of phlegm-heat stagnation in the lung, syndrome of turbid phlegm obstructing lung, syndrome of deficiency of both qi and yin, and syndrome of qi deficiency of lung and kidney than in those with syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis obstructing lung (P<0.05). The percentage of predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%pred) of patients with syndrome of phlegm-heat stagnation in the lung, syndrome of turbid phlegm obstructing lung, syndrome of deficiency of both qi and yin, and syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis obstructing lung was higher than in those with syndrome of qi deficiency of lung and kidney (P<0.05). Among patients aged 60 and above, those with syndrome of phlegm-heat stagnation in the lung, syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis obstructing lung, and syndrome of deficiency of both qi and yin containing dual pathogenic syndrome elements were more likely to experience moderate to severe pulmonary diffusion impairment than those with syndrome of turbid phlegm obstructing lung and syndrome of qi deficiency of lung and kidney containing single pathogenic syndrome elements (P<0.05). The Logistic regression showed that the FVC%pred was an influential factor for syndrome of qi deficiency of lung and kidney, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) between FVC%pred and the formation of syndrome of qi deficiency of lung and kidney was 0.676 (95%CI: 0.598-0.755), P=0.002. The sensitivity was 0.431, the specificity was 0.966, and the best threshold on the ROC curve of 0.397 was 79.1%. The D-dimer level was an influential factor in the formation of syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis obstructing lung. The AUC between D-dimer level and the formation of syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis obstructing lung was 0.729 (95%CI: 0.655-0.802), P<0.001. The sensitivity was 0.914, the specificity was 0.523, and the best threshold on the ROC curve of 0.437 was 0.675 mg/L.
Conclusion
syndrome of phlegm-heat stagnation in the lung and syndrome of turbid phlegm obstructing lung are common among patients with ILD. Complex pathological syndromes are more likely to exacerbate pulmonary diffusion dysfunction. The FVC%pred can assist in differentiating syndrome of qi deficiency of lung and kidney, whereas the D-dimer level can assist in differentiating syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis obstructing lung.
5.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
6.Prescription pattern of traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy based on multivariate data mining.
Xuan-Yang WANG ; Yuan GAO ; Bin LI ; Rui YU ; Shi-Yang XIE ; Lu-Ye ZHOU ; Yu-Die SUN ; Ming-Jun ZHU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(6):1688-1698
This study explored the prescription pattern of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in the treatment of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH), so as to provide a relevant theoretical basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of hypertensive LVH. The study systematically searched the databases of CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed to screen out the qualified literature on TCM treatment of hypertensive LVH and used Microsoft Excel 2021 to establish the relevant prescription database. It also counted the frequency, property, flavor, and meridian affiliation of TCM in the prescriptions and classified their efficacy. The study used Lantern 5.0 and Rstudio software to analyze the hidden structural models and association rules of the high-frequency TCM with a frequency of >3.50% and adopted Origin 2024 software to visualize the data, so as to explore the prescription pattern of TCM in treating hypertensive LVH. The results showed that a total of 128 TCM prescriptions were included, involving 163 TCM with a total frequency of 1 242. The high-frequency TCM included Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis, Gastrodiae Rhizoma, Poria, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma, with the main efficacy from blood-activating and stasis-resolving herbs, tonic herbs, and liver-calming and wind-extinguishing herbs. The latent structure analysis(LSA) identified 10 latent variables, 20 latent classes, 7 comprehensive clustering models, and 23 core prescriptions. It was speculated that the common syndromes of hypertensive LVH included blood stasis obstructing the collaterals, ascending hyperactivity of liver Yang, Yin deficiency with Yang hyperactivity, and intermingled phlegm and blood stasis. The association rule analysis yielded 33 strong association rules, with the highest comprehensive association rule being Gastrodiae Rhizoma→Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis. Hypertensive LVH is characterized by asthenia in origin and asthenia in superficiality, with Yin deficiency and Qi deficiency as the origin and blood stasis and phlegm as the superficiality. Clinical treatment focuses on activating blood circulation, resolving stasis, tonifying Qi, and nourishing Yin, combined with syndrome-specific therapies such as calming wind and stopping convulsions, clearing heat, eliminating dampness and resolving phlegm, and promoting diuresis and reducing swelling.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Data Mining
;
Humans
;
Hypertension/complications*
;
Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular/physiopathology*
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
Drug Prescriptions
7.Pharmaceutical process omics and its applications and prospects in drug quality control.
Yu-Ting LU ; Jia-Yu YANG ; Ying-Ting SHI ; Xin-Yuan XIE ; Jian-Yang PAN ; Hai-Bin QU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(13):3628-3634
The quality of drugs is a crucial premise for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication, while quality control during the pharmaceutical process directly affects the quality and consistency of the final product formulation. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive and scientific system for assessing and optimizing the quality control level during the manufacturing process in the field of drug quality control. Therefore, this study proposed the concept of "pharmaceutical process omics", clarified its advantages in guiding drug production, and explored in depth the research approaches, diverse analytical techniques, and broad range of applications in drug quality control. In addition, this study anticipated the broad application prospects of pharmaceutical process omics in the field of drug quality control, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the development of pharmaceutical process quality control standards.
Quality Control
;
Humans
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
8.Development of intelligent equipment for rapid microbial detection of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma decoction pieces based on measurement technology for traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing.
Yang LIU ; Wu-Zhen QI ; Yu-Tong WU ; Shan-Xi ZHU ; Xiao-Jun ZHAO ; Qia-Tong XIE ; Yu-Feng GUO ; Jing ZHAO ; Nan LI ; Shi-Jun WANG ; Qi-Hui SUN ; Zhi-Sheng WU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(16):4610-4618
Microbial detection and control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) decoction pieces are crucial for the quality control of TCM preparations. It is also a key area of research in the measurement technology and equipment development for TCM manufacturing. Guided by TCM manufacturing measurement methodologies, this study presented a design of a novel portable microbial detection device, using Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma decoction pieces as a demonstration. Immunomagnetic separation technology was employed for specific isolation and labeling of target microorganisms. Enzymatic signal amplification was utilized to convert weak biological signals into colorimetric signals, constructing an optical biosensor. A self-developed smartphone APP was further applied to analyze the colorimetric signals and quantify target concentrations. A portable and automated detection system based on Arduino microcontroller was developed to automatically perform target microbial separation/extraction, as well as mimetic enzyme labeling and catalytic reactions. The developed equipment specifically focuses on the rapid and quantitative microbial analysis of TCM active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates in TCM manufacturing, and final TCM products. Experimental results demonstrate that the equipment could detect Salmonella in samples within 2 h, with a detection limit as low as 5.1 × 10~3 CFU·mL~(-1). The equipment enables the rapid detection of microorganisms in TCM decoction pieces, providing a potential technical solution for on-site rapid screening of microbial contamination indicators in TCM. It has broad application prospects in measurement technology for TCM manufacturing and offers strong technical support for the modernization, industrialization, and intelligent development of TCM.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis*
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Atractylodes/microbiology*
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Rhizome/microbiology*
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Biosensing Techniques/methods*
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
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Colorimetry/instrumentation*
;
Quality Control
9.Robot-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention: a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial.
Yi YU ; Zheng CHEN ; Zhi-Jian WANG ; Yue-Ping LI ; Li-Xia YANG ; Jing QI ; Jing XIE ; Tao HUANG ; Dong-Mei SHI ; Yu-Jie ZHOU
Journal of Geriatric Cardiology 2025;22(8):725-735
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of robot-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (R-PCI) compared to traditional manual percutaneous coronary intervention (M-PCI).
METHODS:
This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled, non-inferior clinical trial enrolled patients with coronary heart disease who met the inclusion criteria and had indications for elective percutaneous coronary intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to either the R-PCI group or the M-PCI group. Primary endpoints were clinical and technical success rates. Clinical success was defined as visually estimated residual post-percutaneous coronary intervention stenosis < 30% with no 30-day major adverse cardiac events. Technical success in the R-PCI group was defined as successful completion of percutaneous coronary intervention using the ETcath200 robot-assisted system, without conversion to M-PCI in the event of a guidewire or balloon/stent catheter that was unable to cross the vessel or was poorly supported by the catheter. Secondary endpoints included total procedure time, percutaneous coronary intervention procedure time, fluoroscopy time, contrast volume, operator radiation exposure, air kerma, and dose-area product.
RESULTS:
The trial enrolled 152 patients (R-PCI: 73 patients, M-PCI: 79 patients). Lesions were predominantly B2/C type (73.6%). Both groups achieved 100% clinical success rate. No major adverse cardiac events occurred during the 30-day follow-up. The R-PCI group had a technical success rate of 100%. The R-PCI group had longer total procedure and fluoroscopy times, but lower operator radiation exposure. The percutaneous coronary intervention procedure time, contrast volume, air kerma, and dose-area product were similar between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS
For certain complex lesions, performing percutaneous coronary intervention using the ETcath200 robot-assisted system is safe and effective and does not result in conversion to M-PCI.
10.Zedoarondiol Inhibits Neovascularization in Atherosclerotic Plaques of ApoE-/- Mice by Reducing Platelet Exosomes-Derived MiR-let-7a.
Bei-Li XIE ; Bo-Ce SONG ; Ming-Wang LIU ; Wei WEN ; Yu-Xin YAN ; Meng-Jie GAO ; Lu-Lian JIANG ; Zhi-Die JIN ; Lin YANG ; Jian-Gang LIU ; Da-Zhuo SHI ; Fu-Hai ZHAO
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(3):228-239
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effect of zedoarondiol on neovascularization of atherosclerotic (AS) plaque by exosomes experiment.
METHODS:
ApoE-/- mice were fed with high-fat diet to establish AS model and treated with high- and low-dose (10, 5 mg/kg daily) of zedoarondiol, respectively. After 14 weeks, the expressions of anti-angiogenic protein thrombospondin 1 (THBS-1) and its receptor CD36 in plaques, as well as platelet activation rate and exosome-derived miR-let-7a were detected. Then, zedoarondiol was used to intervene in platelets in vitro, and miR-let-7a was detected in platelet-derived exosomes (Pexo). Finally, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with miR-let-7a mimics and treated with Pexo to observe the effect of miR-let-7a in Pexo on tube formation.
RESULTS:
Animal experiments showed that after treating with zedoarondiol, the neovascularization density in plaques of AS mice was significantly reduced, THBS-1 and CD36 increased, the platelet activation rate was markedly reduced, and the miR-let-7a level in Pexo was reduced (P<0.01). In vitro experiments, the platelet activation rate and miR-let-7a levels in Pexo were significantly reduced after zedoarondiol's intervention. Cell experiments showed that after Pexo's intervention, the tube length increased, and the transfection of miR-let-7a minics further increased the tube length of cells, while reducing the expressions of THBS-1 and CD36.
CONCLUSION
Zedoarondiol has the effect of inhibiting neovascularization within plaque in AS mice, and its mechanism may be potentially related to inhibiting platelet activation and reducing the Pexo-derived miRNA-let-7a level.
Animals
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MicroRNAs/genetics*
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Exosomes/drug effects*
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Plaque, Atherosclerotic/genetics*
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Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics*
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Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism*
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Humans
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Blood Platelets/drug effects*
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Apolipoproteins E/deficiency*
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Thrombospondin 1/metabolism*
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CD36 Antigens/metabolism*
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Platelet Activation/drug effects*
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Male
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL


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