1.Mechanism and Clinical Research Progress of Puerarin in Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure
Wenjie LU ; Siqi ZHONG ; Lu ZHANG ; Wenting LIN ; Zhijun ZENG ; Shaohua WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):327-336
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is an end-stage cardiac syndrome driven by multiple factors. Its pathological process involves interactions of multiple pathways such as energy metabolism dysfunction, neuroendocrine dysregulation, and myocardial fibrosis. Although current clinical medicine can alleviate symptoms through single-target approaches, significant limitations in reversing cardiac remodeling and disease progression remain. Puerarin, a major bioactive isoflavone constituent derived from Pueraria lobata, exhibits multidimensional pharmacological effects, such as vasodilatory effects, regulation of neuroendocrine balance, enhancement of metabolic homeostasis, and suppression of myocardial apoptosis. This review systematically integrated puerarin's multi-target regulatory network, elucidating its mechanisms such as improving energy metabolism by AMP-activated protein kinase/mechanistic target of rapamycin (AMPK/mTOR) pathway, inhibiting fibrosis mediated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad signals, and attenuating oxidative-inflammatory cascades by regulating nuclear factor erythroid 2 (E2)-related factor 2/nuclear transcription factor-κB(Nrf2/NF-κB) axis. Clinical research data was used to validate its efficacy in improving the left ventricular ejection function and reducing the therapeutic potential of cardiovascular events' risks. The study proposed that puerarin's "systemic regulation" characteristic breaks through the limitations of traditional single-target drugs and prospected its clinical translation pathway based on metabolomics and nano-delivery technology, offering an integrative perspective from molecular mechanisms to precise therapy for the research on modernization of traditional Chinese medicine.
2.Mechanism and Clinical Research Progress of Puerarin in Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure
Wenjie LU ; Siqi ZHONG ; Lu ZHANG ; Wenting LIN ; Zhijun ZENG ; Shaohua WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):327-336
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is an end-stage cardiac syndrome driven by multiple factors. Its pathological process involves interactions of multiple pathways such as energy metabolism dysfunction, neuroendocrine dysregulation, and myocardial fibrosis. Although current clinical medicine can alleviate symptoms through single-target approaches, significant limitations in reversing cardiac remodeling and disease progression remain. Puerarin, a major bioactive isoflavone constituent derived from Pueraria lobata, exhibits multidimensional pharmacological effects, such as vasodilatory effects, regulation of neuroendocrine balance, enhancement of metabolic homeostasis, and suppression of myocardial apoptosis. This review systematically integrated puerarin's multi-target regulatory network, elucidating its mechanisms such as improving energy metabolism by AMP-activated protein kinase/mechanistic target of rapamycin (AMPK/mTOR) pathway, inhibiting fibrosis mediated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad signals, and attenuating oxidative-inflammatory cascades by regulating nuclear factor erythroid 2 (E2)-related factor 2/nuclear transcription factor-κB(Nrf2/NF-κB) axis. Clinical research data was used to validate its efficacy in improving the left ventricular ejection function and reducing the therapeutic potential of cardiovascular events' risks. The study proposed that puerarin's "systemic regulation" characteristic breaks through the limitations of traditional single-target drugs and prospected its clinical translation pathway based on metabolomics and nano-delivery technology, offering an integrative perspective from molecular mechanisms to precise therapy for the research on modernization of traditional Chinese medicine.
3.Prediction of the"Efficacy Component Group"for Alcohol Detoxification and Liver Protection in Puerariae Lobatue Radix Based on UPLC Fingerprint and Network Pharmacology
Lei SHEN ; Xingming JIANG ; Si HONG ; Dingming LIU ; Yumeng KONG ; Siqi HUANG ; Xiaoxuan LIU ; Xinlin ZHONG ; Wenlong LIU ; Xili ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(11):133-141
Objective To explore the quality markers of Puerariae Lobatue Radix;To predict its"efficacy component group"with alcohol detoxification and liver protection effects.Methods Fingerprints of 26 batches of Puerariae Lobatue Radix samples from different origins in China was established.Multivariate statistical analysis was employed to identify quality markers,while network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict the potential"efficacy component group".Results UPLC fingerprint analysis calibrated 11 common peaks.Clustering analysis classified 26 batches of samples into 3 categories,and 7 quality markers were ultimately screened through multivariate statistical analysis,including mirificin,puerarin,puerarin-6''-O-xyloside,3'-methoxypuerarin,ononin,genistin and daidzin.Network pharmacology revealed that all 7 markers interacted with targets related to alcohol-associated liver disease,identifying 19 core targets such as TNF,CASP3,BCL2,MMP9,IL2,and 93 signaling pathways involving IL-17 and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways.Molecular docking demonstrated strong binding affinity between the 7 markers and target proteins,with binding energies<-5 kcal/mol.Conclusion The"efficacy component group",main targets and signaling pathways predicted in this study can provide support for the research on the mechanism,material basis and quality control of the alcohol detoxification and liver protection effects of Puerariae Lobatue Radix.
4.Analysis of the global disease burden and trend of early-onset colorectal cancer
Zhanghan CHEN ; Siqi GAN ; Yiyuan CAO ; Linda LI ; Tianyu ZHANG ; Jia SONG ; Zhipeng QI ; Yunshi ZHONG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(5):734-742
Objective To analyze the disease burden of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) at the global, regional, and national levels from 1990 to 2021, and to predict the disease burden trend from 2022 to 2026. Methods Based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rate of EOCRC across 204 countries and regions from 1990 to 2021 were obtained. The time trends of these indicators were assessed by calculating the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC), and the contributions of ten risk factors to the EOCRC burden were analyzed. The autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was used to predict the disease burden from 2022 to 2026. Results From 1990 to 2021, the number of new global EOCRC cases increased from 107 310 to 211 890, with the incidence rising from 3.96 to 5.37 per 100 000 people. In 2021, global EOCRC incidence, mortality, and DALY rate increased with age; males had higher rates than females in terms of incidence, mortality, and DALY rate in all age groups. In 2021, East Asia had the highest number of new cases, deaths, and DALY. From 1990 to 2021, the global EAPC for incidence rate was 0.96%, and death rate was –0.38%. ARIMA model indicated that from 2022 to 2026, the global incidence of EOCRC would continue to rise, while mortality and DALY rate would be expected to decline. Conclusions The disease burden of EOCRC has significantly increased globally from 1990 to 2021, with notable regional, age, and sex differences. By 2026, the mortality and DALY rate of EOCRC will decline, while the incidence is expected to further increase, highlighting the urgency of taking active measures to address the growing trend of EOCRC.
5.Research on the value of different calcification conditions in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases
Wenxi YU ; Xianji WU ; Siqi XIAO ; Chengcheng DUAN ; Jingyue ZHONG ; Xinran WEI ; Guang ZHANG
International Journal of Surgery 2025;52(1):68-72
The incidence rate of thyroid cancer has been rising in recent years. How to accurately distinguish malignant and benign thyroid nodules before surgery has become an important research direction. Ultrasound, as a non-invasive and fast examination method, has been widely used in clinical practice. Some typical ultrasound features, such as calcification, unclear boundaries, multiple lesions, low echo, and aspect ratio>1, can indicate the occurrence of thyroid cancer before surgery. Further analysis of these ultrasound features is still a focus of current research. This article will review the expression and distribution of calcification, a typical ultrasound feature, in benign and malignant thyroid nodules, in order to provide a basis for predicting the malignancy of thyroid nodules based on the characteristics of calcification under preoperative ultrasound.
6.Evaluation of the Applicability of the Dampness Syndrome Scale of Chinese Medicine(DSSCM)in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis
Li'an ZHU ; Liu ZHONG ; Yu ZHANG ; Siqi YE ; Xiumei MO
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;42(10):2367-2373
Objective To evaluate the applicability of the Dampness Syndrome Scale of Chinese Medicine(DSSCM)in patients with atopic dermatitis(AD).Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted 204 AD patients.Demographic data and scores of the DSSCM,Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure(POEM),Atopic Dermatitis Control Tool(ADCT),Scoring Atopic Dermatitis(SCORAD),Eczema Area and Severity Index(EASI),and Investigator's Global Assessment(IGA)were collected.SPSS and AMOS were used to analyze the reliability and validity of the DSSCM and then the correlation between dampness syndrome and clinical AD indicators was explored.Results The overall Cronbach's α coefficient of DSSCM was 0.90,and the Spearman-Brown split-half reliability coefficient was 0.81.Content validity results indicated that,except for items DSSCM 25,DSSCM 26,DSSCM 27,DSSCM 28,and DSSCM 29(with correlation coefficients<0.30),all other items showed correlation coefficients>0.40 with their respective dimensions and the total scale score.The success rates of convergent and discriminant validity tests exceeded 80%,and confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated good fit in the indices of x2/df and RMSEA.Correlation analysis revealed that DSSCM scores were significantly correlated with body mass index(BMI),Dermatology Life Quality Index(DLQI)scores,POEM scores,ADCT scores,pruritus scores,sleep scores,or SCORAD scores(P<0.05 or P<0.01).However,no significant correlations were observed between DSSCM scores and disease duration,age,IGA scores,or EASI scores(P>0.05).Conclusion The DSSCM demonstrates good reliability and validity in AD patients and its scores are correlated with clinical AD indicators,making it a suitable tool for assessing dampness syndrome in this population.
7.Prediction of the"Efficacy Component Group"for Alcohol Detoxification and Liver Protection in Puerariae Lobatue Radix Based on UPLC Fingerprint and Network Pharmacology
Lei SHEN ; Xingming JIANG ; Si HONG ; Dingming LIU ; Yumeng KONG ; Siqi HUANG ; Xiaoxuan LIU ; Xinlin ZHONG ; Wenlong LIU ; Xili ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(11):133-141
Objective To explore the quality markers of Puerariae Lobatue Radix;To predict its"efficacy component group"with alcohol detoxification and liver protection effects.Methods Fingerprints of 26 batches of Puerariae Lobatue Radix samples from different origins in China was established.Multivariate statistical analysis was employed to identify quality markers,while network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict the potential"efficacy component group".Results UPLC fingerprint analysis calibrated 11 common peaks.Clustering analysis classified 26 batches of samples into 3 categories,and 7 quality markers were ultimately screened through multivariate statistical analysis,including mirificin,puerarin,puerarin-6''-O-xyloside,3'-methoxypuerarin,ononin,genistin and daidzin.Network pharmacology revealed that all 7 markers interacted with targets related to alcohol-associated liver disease,identifying 19 core targets such as TNF,CASP3,BCL2,MMP9,IL2,and 93 signaling pathways involving IL-17 and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways.Molecular docking demonstrated strong binding affinity between the 7 markers and target proteins,with binding energies<-5 kcal/mol.Conclusion The"efficacy component group",main targets and signaling pathways predicted in this study can provide support for the research on the mechanism,material basis and quality control of the alcohol detoxification and liver protection effects of Puerariae Lobatue Radix.
8.Efficacy-driving Mechanism of Danhong Injection for Stable Angina Pectoris Based on Composition-activity Relationship of Target Modules
Siwei TIAN ; Wenjing ZONG ; Jun LIU ; Wei YANG ; Qikai NIU ; Siqi ZHANG ; Jing'ai WANG ; Huamin ZHANG ; Zhong WANG ; Bing LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(23):121-128
ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy-driving mechanism of Danhong injection (DHI) in the treatment of stable angina pectoris (SAP) based on the composition-activity relationship of target modules and clarify the pharmacological effects of DHI. MethodAccording to the angina frequency (AF) in the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) that was obtained in the previous clinical trial, the patients before and after DHI treatment were grouped based on efficacy. The transcriptomic data of the patients before treatment and in the best efficacy group 30 days post-treatment were selected as the data source, and then weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to construct the co-expression network. Relevant modules in the network were identified and associated with clinical features. In addition, the On-modules (Z value below 0) were identified by Zsummary. The topological indicators such as density, centrality, and clustering coefficient were adopted to explore the dynamics of DHI efficacy at the network level and module level, respectively. In addition, the driver genes were screened by the personalized network control (PNC) algorithm. Finally, rat H9C2 cells were used to establish the model of hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R), which was used to confirm the potential therapeutic target of DHI for SAP and provide a scientific basis for revealing the therapeutic mechanism of DHI. ResultWe identified 19 modules in the best efficacy group of DHI for SAP, and the comparison between day 0 and day 30 revealed 12 On-modules. The changes of network topological indicators at the network and module levels confirmed the correlation between the best efficacy of DHI treatment and topological dynamics. Finally, the driver genes, Klotho and fibroblast growth factor 22 (FGF22), in DHI treatment of SAP were verified by the H9C2 cell model of H/R. ConclusionBased on clinical transcriptome data, this study determined the composition-activity relationship of target modules of DHI for SAP, which provided a scientific basis for deciphering the efficacy-driven mechanism of DHI for SAP.
9.Fontanel compensation for infant electroencephalography forward modeling method.
Ting ZHANG ; Yan LIU ; Bo PENG ; Siqi ZHANG ; Ying HU ; Weifeng ZHONG ; Yakang DAI
Journal of Biomedical Engineering 2024;41(6):1085-1094
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based electroencephalography (EEG) forward modeling method has become prevalent in the field of EEG. However, due to the inability to obtain clear images of an infant's fontanel through MRI, the fontanelle information is often lacking in the EEG forward model, which affects accuracy of modeling in infants. To address this issue, we propose a novel method to achieve fontanel compensation for infant EEG forward modeling method. First, we employed imaging segmentation and meshing to the head MRIs, creating a fontanel-free model. Second, a projection-based surface reconstruction method was proposed, which utilized priori information on fontanel morphology and the fontanel-free head model to reconstruct the two-dimensional measured fontanel into a three-dimensional fontanel model to achieve fontanel-compensation modeling. Finally, we calculated a fontanel compensation-based EEG forward model for infants based on this model. Simulation results, based on a real head model, demonstrated that the compensation of fontanel had a potential to improve EEG forward modeling accuracy, particularly for the sources beneath the fontanel (relative difference measure larger than 0.05). Additional experimental results revealed that the uncertainty of the infant's skull conductivity had the widest impact range on the neural sources, and the absence of fontanel had the strongest impact on the neural sources below the fontanel. Overall, the proposed fontanel-compensated method showcases the potential to improve the modeling accuracy of EEG forward problem without relying on computed tomography (CT) acquisition, which is more in line with the requirements of practical application scenarios.
Humans
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Electroencephalography/methods*
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods*
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Infant
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Cranial Fontanelles/physiology*
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Imaging, Three-Dimensional
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Computer Simulation
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Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*
10.Effects of Bushen Jianpi formula on farnesoid X receptor-mediated inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma AH-130 cell-induced cachexia in rats and its underlying mechanism
Siqi FENG ; Yi ZHONG ; Shiying LI ; Yun LI ; Zhonghua WU ; Xiaowen TANG ; Zhangjie ZHOU ; Tingting WU
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2024;31(12):1204-1210
Objective:To investigate the effects of Bushen Jianpi formula(BSJP)in mediating the inhibitory effects of farnesoid X receptor(FXR)on cancer cachexia(CC)induced by hepatocellular carcinoma AH-130 cells in a rat model and its underlying mechanism.Methods:A liver cancer cachexia rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of AH-130 cells.The rats were divided into five groups:blank control,model control,CDCA(FXR agonist),BSJP,and BSJP+CDCA groups.After modelling,the rats were treated with CDCA,BSJP,or their combination for consecutive 16 days,and their body weights were measured weekly.At the end of the experiment,the rats were sacrificed,and abdominal aortic blood,feces,and brown adipose tissues from the epididymal,inguinal,and scapular regions were collected.Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS)was used to detect the composition and content of bile acids in serum and feces of rats.WB and qPCR were used to detect the expression of FXR,Wnt family member 10b(Wnt10b),β-catenin,and uncoupling protein 1(UCP-1)in the ileum,brown adipose,and white adipose tissues of rats.Results:Compared with the blank control group,the body mass of the rats in the model group was significantly reduced(P<0.01);compared with the model control group,the body mass of the rats in CDCA,BSJP and BSJP+CDCA groups all increased(P<0.01).Compared with the blank control group,the epididymal,inguinal,scapular,and total brown adipose tissue mass were all elevated in the model control group(all P<0.05);compared with the model control group,the brown fat mass in the inguinal and epididymis regions of the rats decreased significantly in all treatment groups(P<0.05),but this decrease was not significant in the scapular region(P>0.05);besides,the total brown fat mass decreased notably in all treatment groups compared to the model control group(all P<0.01).LC-MS analysis showed that the composition and content of bile acids in the serum and feces of rats were altered in all groups.qPCR and WB results confirmed that,compared to the model group,BSJP and BSJP+CDCA promoted the mRNA and protein expression of FXR in the ileum,brown adipose,and white adipose tissues of rats(all P<0.05),and decreased the mRNA and protein expression of Wnt10b,β-catenin,UCP-1(all P<0.05).Conclusion:The BSJP formula can inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cell AH-130-induced cachexia in rats,alleviating the associated body weight loss and brown adipose tissue formation.The mechanism may involve the regulation of FXR and the inhibition of the expression of Wnt10b,β-catenin,and UCP-1 in brown adipose tissue through the Wnt signaling pathway.

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