1.Microscopic Mechanism of Chronic Liver Disease and Novel Thinking of Medicine Management Based on Theory of "Yang Transforming Qi While Yin Constituting Form-sweat Pore"
Yuying XU ; Changpu ZHAO ; Rongzhi LI ; Yu ZHANG ; Fei WANG ; Chenyuan HAO ; Guangjie SHU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):244-255
The theory of "Yang transforming Qi while Yin constituting form" in the Huangdi's Internal Classic is derived from the application, transformation, movement, and balance of Tao. It is highly condensed, revealing the true meaning of Tao and guiding the changes and progress of all natural things, including diseases. Therefore, the appearance of various physical diseases is the manifestation of Yin-Yang Qi transformation. Sweat pore, formed by the Qi transformation of Yin and Yang, is the nourishing and regulating system. It serves as the hub and channel, assisting in the flow and transformation of Qi, facilitating the exchange of material, energy, and information with the outside world. With sweat pore as the hub and based on the macro-control and holistic thinking of "Yang transforming Qi while Yin constituting form", this paper explores the microscopic mechanisms underlying chronic liver disease. In combination with the roles of mitochondria, exosomes, and the ultraliver sieve structure in the formation and progression of chronic liver disease, this paper elucidates the close internal relationship between the disease's initial quality, symptom signs, and its physiological and pathological functions under the guidance of this theory. Modern studies have shown that autophagy, intestinal flora disorders, glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances, activation of inflammatory factors, ferroptosis, and other microscopic pathological mechanisms are involved in the occurrence and development of chronic liver disease. The common connotation of the Yin-Yang concept in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the pathological mechanisms in modern medicine is deeply analyzed. The corresponding relevant microscopic mechanisms and the guiding role of the theory of "Yang transforming Qi while Yin constituting form-sweat pore" in the management of chronic liver disease are summarized. Wind medicine promotes growth and transformation through sweat pore. The combination of pungent and sweet medicines facilitates Yang and disperse Yin. The formulas, combining the characteristics of wind medicine and pungent and sweet medicines, fit the principle of "Yang transforming Qi while Yin constituting form-sweat pore". This paper combines both macro and micro perspectives to explain the scientific connotation and microscopic mechanisms of chronic liver disease based on the theory of "Yang transforming Qi while Yin constituting form-sweat pore", and explore the prevention and treatment of chronic liver disease through the principles, methods, prescriptions, and medicines featured by combination of pungent and sweet medicines, facilitating Yang, activating sweat pore, and dispersing Yin, providing new ideas and reference for the clinical treatment of chronic liver disease.
2.The effect of rutaecarpine on improving fatty liver and osteoporosis in MAFLD mice
Yu-hao ZHANG ; Yi-ning LI ; Xin-hai JIANG ; Wei-zhi WANG ; Shun-wang LI ; Ren SHENG ; Li-juan LEI ; Yu-yan ZHANG ; Jing-rui WANG ; Xin-wei WEI ; Yan-ni XU ; Yan LIN ; Lin TANG ; Shu-yi SI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(1):141-149
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and osteoporosis (OP) are two very common metabolic diseases. A growing body of experimental evidence supports a pathophysiological link between MAFLD and OP. MAFLD is often associated with the development of OP. Rutaecarpine (RUT) is one of the main active components of Chinese medicine Euodiae Fructus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that RUT has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can improve the OP of rats. However, whether RUT can improve both fatty liver and OP symptoms of MAFLD mice at the same time remains to be investigated. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 months to construct a MAFLD model, and gave the mice a low dose (5 mg·kg-1) and a high dose (15 mg·kg-1) of RUT by gavage for 4 weeks. The effects of RUT on liver steatosis and bone metabolism were then evaluated at the end of the experiment [this experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval number: IMB-20190124D303)]. The results showed that RUT treatment significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation, and significantly reduced bone loss and promoted bone formation. In summary, this study shows that RUT has an effect of improving fatty liver and OP in MAFLD mice.
3.The Influence of Social Context on Perceptual Decision Making and Its Computational Neural Mechanisms
Yu-Pei LIU ; Yu-Shu WANG ; Bin ZHAN ; Rui WANG ; Yi JIANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(10):2568-2584
Perceptual decision making refers to the process by which individuals make choices and judgments based on sensory information, serving as a fundamental ability for human adaptation to complex environments. While traditional research has focused on perceptual decision making in isolated contexts, growing evidence highlights the profound influence of social contexts prevalent in real-world scenarios. As a crucial factor supporting individual survival and development, social context not only provides rich information sources but also shapes perceptual decision making through top-down processing mechanisms, prompting researchers to recognize the inherently social nature of human decisions. Empirical studies have demonstrated that social information, such as others’ choices or group norms, can systematically bias individuals’ perceptual decisions, often manifesting as conformity behaviors. Social influence can also facilitate performance under certain conditions, particularly when individuals can accurately identify and adopt high-quality social information. The impact of social context on perceptual decisions is modulated by a variety of external and internal factors, including group characteristics(e.g., group size, response consistency), attributes of peers (e.g., familiarity, social status, distinctions between human and artificial agents), as well as individual differences such as confidence, personality traits, and developmental stage. The motivations driving social influence encompass three primary mechanisms: improving decision accuracy through informational influence, gaining social acceptance through normative influence, and maintaining positive self-concept. Recent computational approaches have employed diverse theoretical frameworks to provide valuable insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying social influence in perceptual decision making. Reinforcement learning models demonstrate how social feedback shapes future choices through reward-based updating. Bayesian inference frameworks describe how individuals integrate personal beliefs with social information based on their respective reliabilities, dynamically updating beliefs to optimize decisions under uncertainty. Drift diffusion models offer powerful tools to decompose social influence into distinct cognitive components, allowing researchers to differentiate between changes in perceptual processing and shifts in decision criteria. Collectively, these models establish a comprehensive methodological foundation for disentangling the multiple pathways by which social context shapes perceptual decisions. Neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies provide converging evidence that social context influences perceptual decision making through multi-level neural mechanisms. At early perceptual processing stages, social influence modulates sensory evidence accumulation in parietal cortex and directly alters primary visual cortex activity, while guiding selective attention to stimulus features consistent with social norms through attentional alignment mechanisms. At higher cognitive levels, the reward system (ventral striatum, ventromedial prefrontal cortex) is activated during group-consistent decisions; emotion-processing networks (anterior cingulate cortex, insula, amygdala) regulate experiences of social acceptance and rejection; and mentalizing-related brain regions (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction) support inference of others’ mental states and social information integration. These neural circuits work synergistically to achieve top-down multi-level modulation of perceptual decision making. Understanding the mechanisms by which social context shapes perceptual decision making has broad theoretical and practical implications. These insights inform the optimization of collective decision-making, the design of socially adaptive human-computer interaction systems, and interventions for cognitive disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and anorexia nervosa. Future studies should combine computational modeling and neuroimaging approaches to systematically investigate the multi-level and dynamic nature of social influences on perceptual decision making.
4.Design and experimental verification of intelligent power-assisted hip disarticulation prosthesis
Huafu LUO ; Shengli LUO ; Hexiang ZHU ; Xiaolong SHU ; Xiaoming WANG ; Hongliu YU
International Journal of Biomedical Engineering 2024;47(2):108-114
Objective:To design a new type of intelligent power-assisted hip disarticulation prosthesis and to use experiments to verify its kinematic performance.Methods:The main body of the prosthesis was designed using a double parallel four-link configuration based on a remote motion center mechanism. A series elastic actuator was used to provide external power for the prosthesis, and an antagonistic torsion spring structure was used to achieve bidirectional energy storage assistance in hip flexion and extension. A control system based on impedance control was established. By setting up an auxiliary force field to compensate for the difference between the actual angle of the prosthesis and the target angle, the prosthesis assist function was realized. Finally, the traditional hip disarticulation prosthesis was used as a comparison to test the overall performance of the new intelligent power-assisted hip disarticulation prosthesis worn by normal people.Results:For the new smart-assisted hip-disarticulation prosthesis, the goodness-of-fit of its hip joint angle curve to that of a normal person was 86%, which was 14% higher than that of the traditional hip-disarticulation prosthesis (72%). The goodness-of-fit of the healthy-side angle of the new smart-assisted hip disarticulation prosthesis to the normal human was 94%, which was the same as that of the traditional hip disarticulation prosthesis.Conclusions:A new type of intelligent power-assisted hip disarticulation prosthesis is designed to realize the function of prosthesis-assisted movement.
5.Preliminary study on delaying aging induced thymus degeneration in SAMP6 mice with Bazi Bushen capsule
Zhao-Dong LI ; Yin-Xiao CHEN ; Bo-Yang GONG ; Zhe XU ; Zhi-Xian YU ; Yue-Xuan SHI ; Yan-Fei PENG ; Yu-Hong BIAN ; Yun-Long HOU ; Xiang-Ling WANG ; Shu-Wu ZHAO
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(6):1186-1192
Aim To explore the improvement effect of Bazi Bushen capsule on thymic degeneration in SAMP6 mice and the possible mechanism.Methods Twenty 12 week old male SAMP6 mice were randomly divided into the model group(SAMP6)and the Bazi Busheng capsule treatment group(SAMP6+BZBS).Ten SAMR1 mice were assigned to a homologous control group(SAMR1).The SAMP6+BZBS group was oral-ly administered Bazi Bushen capsule suspension(2.8 g·kg-1)daily,while the other two groups were orally administered an equal amount of distilled water.After nine weeks of administration,the morphology of the thymus in each group was observed and the thymus in-dex was calculated;HE staining was used to observe the structural changes of thymus tissue;SA-β-gal stai-ning was used to detect thymic aging;flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of thymic CD3+T cells in each group;Western blot was used to detect the levels of p16,Bax,Bcl-2,and cleaved caspase-3 proteins in thymus;immunofluorescence was applied to detect the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells in each group;ELISA was employed to detect IL-7 lev-els in thymus.Results Compared with the SAMP6 group,the thymic index of the SAMP6+BZBS group significantly increased(P<0.05);the disordered thy-mic structure was significantly improved;the positive proportion of SA-β-gal staining significantly decreased(P<0.01);the proportion of CD3+T cells apparently increased(P<0.05);the level of p16 protein signifi-cantly decreased(P<0.05);the level of Bcl-2 pro-tein significantly increased(P<0.05),while the lev-el of cleaved caspase-3 protein markedly decreased(P<0.05);the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells evidently increased;the level of IL-7 significantly increased(P<0.01).Conclusions Bazi Bushen capsule can delay thymic degeneration,inhibit cell ap-optosis in thymus and promote thymic cell development in SAMP6 mice,which may be related to increasing the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells and promoting IL-7 secretion.
6.Mechanism of Chaijin JieYu Anshen formula regulating synaptic plasticity of hippocampal neurons in insomnia-concomitant depression rats based on HDAC5/MEF2C pathway
Ting-Ting REN ; Yu-Hong WANG ; Ying-Juan TANG ; Song YANG ; Hai-Peng GUO ; Ting-Ting WANG ; Ying HE ; Ping LI ; Hong-Qing ZHAO ; Zi-Yang ZHOU ; Man-Shu ZOU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(7):1248-1257
Aim To investigate the mechanisms of Chaijin JieYu Anshen formula modulating the depres-sive behaviors and the synaptic plasticity of hippocam-pal neurons in insomnia-concomitant depression rats based on the histone deacetylase 5(HDAC5)/myocyte enhancer factor 2C(MEF2C)pathway.Methods A rat model of insomnia-concomitant depression was es-tablished by PCPA injection combined with chronic un-predictable mild stress(CUMS),and the experiment was divided into the control group,the model group,the high,medium and low dose group of Chaijin JieYu Anshen formula,and the positive drug group.The de-pression of rats was evaluated by sugar-water prefer-ence test,open field test and morris water maze.The levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)and dopamine(DA)in serum were measured by enzyme linked im-munosorbent assay(ELISA).The pathological damage of hippocampal neurons was observed by HE staining and Nissl staining.The damage of dendritic spines of hippocampal neurons was observed by Golgi staining,and the levels of HDAC5,MEF2C,postsynaptic densi-ty-95(PSD-95)and synaptophysin 1(SYN1)in hip-pocampus were measured by Western blot,immunohis-tochemistry and immunofluorescence.Results Com-pared with the model group,the Chaijin JieYu Anshen formula could increase the sugar-water preference rate of the model rats,reduce the immobility time in the open field experiment,increase the total activity dis-tance,shorten the evasion latency in the localization navigation experiment,and prolong the residence time in the quadrant where the platform was located in the space exploration experiment(P<0.05,P<0.01).Moreover,the Chaijin JieYu Anshen formula improved the hippocampal neuron and dendritic spine damage and increase the dendritic branch length and dendritic spine density of hippocampal neurons(P<0.01,P<0.01),restore the serum levels of 5-HT and DA in insomnia-concomitant depression rats(P<0.05,P<0.01),down-regulate the HDAC5 protein,and up-regulate the expression of MEF2C,PSD-95,and SYN1 protein(P<0.05,P<0.01 or P<0.001).Conclusions Chaijin JieYu Anshen formula may alle-viate the depression-like behavior of model rats by re-ducing the expression of HDAC5 protein,thus deregu-lating the inhibition of transcription factor MEF2C,promoting the expression of PSD-95 and SNY1 protein,and exerting a protective effect on hippocampal neurons and synapses.
7.Early gait analysis after total knee arthroplasty based on artificial intelligence dynamic image recognition
Ming ZHANG ; Ya-Nan SUI ; Cheng WANG ; Hao-Chong ZHANG ; Zhi-Wei CAI ; Quan-Lei ZHANG ; Yu ZHANG ; Tian-Tian XIA ; Xiao-Ran ZU ; Yi-Jian HUANG ; Cong-Shu HUANG ; Xiang LI
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2024;37(9):855-861
Objective To explore early postoperative gait characteristics and clinical outcomes after total knee arthroplasty(TKA).Methods From February 2023 to July 2023,26 patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis(KOA)were treated with TKA,including 4 males and 22 females,aged from 57 to 85 years old with an average of(67.58±6.49)years old;body mass in-dex(BMI)ranged from 18.83 to 38.28 kg·m-2 with an average of(26.43±4.15)kg·m-2;14 patients on the left side,12 pa-tients on the right side;according to Kellgren-Lawrence(K-L)classification,6 patients with grade Ⅲ and 20 patients with grade Ⅳ;the courses of disease ranged from 1 to 14 years with an average of(5.54±3.29)years.Images and videos of standing up and walking,walking side shot,squatting and supine kneeling were taken with smart phones before operation and 6 weeks after operation.The human posture estimation framework OpenPose were used to analyze stride frequency,step length,step length,step speed,active knee knee bending angle,stride length,double support phase time,as well as maximum hip flexion angle and maximum knee bending angle on squatting position.Western Ontario and McMaster Universities(WOMAC)arthritis index and Knee Society Score(KSS)were used to evaluate clinical efficacy of knee joint.Results All patients were followed up for 5 to 7 weeks with an average of(6.00±0.57)weeks.The total score of WOMAC decreased from(64.85±11.54)before op-eration to(45.81±7.91)at 6 weeks after operation(P<0.001).The total KSS was increased from(101.19±9.58)before opera-tion to(125.50±10.32)at 6 weeks after operation(P<0.001).The gait speed,stride frequency and stride length of the affected side before operation were(0.32±0.10)m·s-1,(96.35±24.18)steps·min-1,(0.72±0.14)m,respectively;and increased to(0.48±0.11)m·s 1,(104.20±22.53)steps·min-1,(0.79±0.10)m at 6 weeks after operation(P<0.05).The lower limb support time and active knee bending angle decreased from(0.31±0.38)sand(125.21±11.64)° before operation to(0.11±0.04)s and(120.01±13.35)° at 6 weeks after operation(P<0.05).Eleven patients could able to complete squat before operation,13 patients could able to complete at 6 weeks after operation,and 9 patients could able to complete both before operation and 6 weeks after operation.In 9 patients,the maximum bending angle of crouching position was increased from 76.29° to 124.11° before operation to 91.35° to 134.12° at 6 weeks after operation,and the maximum bending angle of hip was increased from 103.70° to 147.25° before operation to 118.61° to 149.48° at 6 weeks after operation.Conclusion Gait analysis technology based on artificial intelligence image recognition is a safe and effective method to quantitatively identify the changes of pa-tients'gait.Knee pain of KOA was relieved and the function was improved,the supporting ability of the affected limb was im-proved after TKA,and the patient's stride frequency,stride length and stride speed were improved,and the overall movement rhythm of both lower limbs are more coordinated.
8.Impact of a history of novel coronavirus infection on the clinical characteristics of children with rhinovirus infection
Shu TENG ; Zhenghong QI ; Wen LI ; Huaping WANG ; Shiyong ZHAO ; Mengfei YU
Chinese Journal of Experimental and Clinical Virology 2024;38(5):564-569
Objective:This study aimed to clarify the clinical characteristics of children infected with rhinovirus in the context of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to explore the impact of recent COVID-19 infection history on their clinical features.Methods:Clinical data and laboratory test result of 286 children diagnosed with rhinovirus infection at Hangzhou Children′s Hospital from July 2022 to October 2023 were collected. A retrospective survey was conducted to determine whether all study participants had a history of COVID-19 infection within the 6 months prior to hospitalization.Results:Among the 286 children with rhinovirus infection, 180 (62.94%) had simple rhinovirus infection, while 106 (37.06%) had co-infections with other pathogens; Among the 180 rhinovirus simplex-positive children, 56.67% had wheezing symptoms; among them, 15 cases (15/180, 8.33%) were diagnosed with acute asthma attacks; 7 cases (7/180, 3.88%) were diagnosed with severe pneumonia. Based on whether the children had a history of COVID-19 infection in the 6 months prior to hospitalization, they were divided into a group with previous COVID-19 infection and a group without previous COVID-19 infection. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age of onset, peak fever, incidence of wheezing, incidence of pneumonia, proportion of severe pneumonia, proportion of severe asthma attacks, duration of fever, time to relief of wheezing, length of stay, white blood cell count, eosinophil count, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, immunoglobulin E, oxygen therapy requirements, and use of intravenous steroids ( P>0.05). Conclusions:A history of COVID-19 infection in the past 6 months does not exacerbate the clinical symptoms of children with rhinovirus infection, nor does it increase the incidence of wheezing.
9.The prospect and challenges of injectable hydrogel in the treatment of chronic heart failure
Shu-Cheng LI ; Bing-Chen GUO ; Dian-Yu GAO ; Bo WANG ; Ying-Feng TU
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2024;32(8):451-456
Heart failure is the leading cause of mortality in cardiovascular diseases and represents the ultimate common manifestation of most cardiovascular conditions,impacting over 60 million individuals globally.Currently,heart transplantation remains the standard treatment for heart failure patients.Adherence to fundamental pharmacotherapy can improve quality of life and extend survival time for heart failure patients.However,due to the complex mechanism of heart failure and numerous complications,the limitations of conventional heart failure treatment strategies in clinical work are gradually magnified.In recent years,interventional therapy has emerged as an innovative approach for managing heart failure,attracting significant attention and achieving substantial breakthroughs that offer new hope for affected individuals.Injectable hydrogel has garnered considerable interest in biomedicine due to its minimally invasive nature and capacity for efficient therapeutic drug delivery.In the context of chronic heart failure,injectable hydrogel finds application primarily in tissue regeneration,drug delivery,and immunotherapy.This review mainly describes the application and research progress of injectable hydrogel in the treatment of heart failure.
10.Effect of turmeric extract regulating Nrf2/Keap1 pathway on sepsis-induced acute lung injury in rats
Shu WANG ; Fuxing LI ; Meng WANG ; Yihua ZHOU ; Zhihong YU ; Yuanqi GONG
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2024;40(12):2580-2584,2590
Objective:To investigate effect of curcumin on sepsis-induced acute lung injury rats based on Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway.Methods:Thirty rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,curcumin low,medium and high doses groups,with 6 rats in each group.Rats in sham operation group were exposed by removing cecum and then returned to abdominal cavity,while rest of rats were constructed a model of acute lung injury in sepsis,and drugs were administered immediately after surgery for 3 consecutive days.After anaesthesia with 40 mg/kg pentobarbital,blood and alveolar lavage fluid were collected from common carotid arteries,and lung tissues were taken after death.Severity of sepsis in rats was evaluated;total cell count and neutrophil count of alveo-lar lavage fluid were detected;HE staining was performed to observe pathological damage of lung tissues;colorimetric method was used to detect SOD and MDA activities of lung tissues;ELISA was used to detect TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 levels;qRT-PCR was used to detect Nrf2,Keap1 and HO-1 mRNA expressions in lung tissues;Western blot was used to detect Nrf2,Keap1 and HO-1 protein expressions in lung tissues.Results:Compared with sham operation group,severity scores of sepsis in model group,curcumin low,medium and high doses groups were increased,total number of cells and neutrophil number were increased,SOD level was decreased,MDA level was increased,TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 levels were increased,Nrf2,HO-1 mRNA and protein expressions were decreased,Keap1 mRNA and protein expressions were increased(P<0.05);compared with model group,sepsis severity scores of curcumin low,medium and high doses groups were decreased,total number of cells and neutrophil number were decreased,SOD level was increased,MDA level was decreased,TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 levels were decreased,Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNA and protein expressions were increased,Keap1 mRNA and protein expressions were decreased in a dose-dependent manner(P<0.05).Conclu-sion:Curcumin can improve acute lung injury in rats with sepsis,improve lung pathological injury and protect lung tissue,which may be achieved by regulating Nrf2/Keap1 pathway and expressions of related factors.

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