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.Exploration of ethical issues in the multiple disciplinary team model for children with 46, XY disorders of sex development
Lili PAN ; Zhe SU ; Wei SU ; Ying ZU ; Chenxi LI ; Huiping SU ; Jingyu YOU ; Kexin JIN ; Rongfei ZHENG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2026;39(6):718-723
ObjectiveTo explore the ethical issues and coping strategies in the diagnosis and treatment of 46, XY disorders of sex development (46, XY DSD) under a multidisciplinary team (MDT) model, and to deepen the understanding of relevant ethical issues while accumulating experience. MethodsA retrospective collection was conducted on the data of children with 46, XY disorders of sex development under a single-center MDT model from January 2017 to December 2024, and the ethical issues involved in the diagnosis and treatment process were analyzed. ResultsA total of 24 MDT discussion documents involving 20 children were collected, including 17 with female social gender and 3 with male social gender. The age ranged from 0.5 to 15.8 years, with children under 8 years accounting for 75%. The ethical issues primarily involved how to ensure adequate informed consent, whether surgery was necessary and its timing, and whether gender selection is reasonable and its timing. Among the 10 children raised as females who completed the gender role psychological scale assessment, 5 demonstrated masculine tendencies, all of whom had pathogenic genetic variants. Furthermore, only 1 patient changed the social gender to male. ConclusionThe diagnosis and treatment of 46, XY DSD is relatively complex, requiring multidisciplinary collaboration. This process involves numerous ethical issues and necessitates adhering to medical ethical principles. Ensuring adequate informed consent is crucial, especially for younger children. The surgery and its timing selection must adhere to the principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, and leaving room for the future. Gender selection constitutes a focus and challenge in diagnosis and treatment. Psychological scales and genetic etiologies are conducive to judgments regarding gender selection, yet multiple factors in the real world may interfere with the gender selection.
3.Platelet Lipid Metabolism—— a Pathway Involved in Organ Function and Disease Development
Li YANG ; Tao SU ; Zhe CHEN ; Lin-Xi CHEN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(8):2091-2103
Platelets play a crucial role in hemostasis and thrombosis. They have a complex and active metabolic system, particularly regarding lipid metabolism. The active and intricate lipid metabolism within platelets plays a central role in platelet activation, signal transduction, and functional regulation, making it crucial for studying the pathophysiological mechanisms of diseases. The platelet membrane structure is highly complex and it contains various lipids, including phospholipids, sphingolipids, cholesteryl esters, and triglycerides, etc. Current research has elucidated multiple metabolic pathways in platelets, such as phospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism, which profoundly influence platelet aggregation, release, and inflammatory responses. Upon activation, platelets release various lipids that interact with inflammatory cells in a paracrine manner. This review systematically describes the key lipid metabolism in platelets and its dynamic functional regulation. Lipid metabolism regulates processes such as platelet production, aging, and activation. This review emphasizes the interaction between lipid droplets and mitochondria, which is closely related to platelet activation. For instance, platelet-derived extracellular vesicles can transfer dysfunctional mitochondria from platelets to hepatocytes, leading to the dysfunction of lipid droplet-bound mitochondria and abnormal lipid droplet metabolism, thereby affecting hepatic lipid metabolism. The review summarizes interactions between platelet lipid metabolism and other cells, including leukocytes, erythrocytes, and lymphocytes. However, there are few studies on the interactions between platelets and cells through lipid metabolism, and the direct evidence is scarce. Further research is recommended in the future. It further explores the relationships between platelet lipid metabolism and the reproductive system, musculoskeletal system, the central nervous system, and the gut microbiota. Additionally, it reviews the close associations between platelet lipid metabolism and diseases such as diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, immune thrombocytopenia, metabolic syndrome, and thrombotic disorders (thromboembolic diseases). For example, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), typically characterized by reproductive impairment, may be associated with enhanced platelet activation and elevated phospholipase A2 activity in patients with APS. Moreover, lipid metabolism in the bone marrow microenvironment can promote platelet production. Under cellular stress, platelets transfer mitochondria to macrophages; in the spinal cord injury model, this process can regulate energy and lipid metabolism, leading to nerve and myelin regeneration and ultimately promoting the recovery of motor function. These findings indicate that modulating energy and lipid metabolism can influence platelet function, suggesting that targeting platelet lipid metabolism may provide a direction for disease treatment. Furthermore, the review covers the research on platelet lipid metabolism and related drugs, including traditional Chinese medicines and natural products. As the first selective 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) inhibitor to enter clinical trials, ML355 will facilitate future research on the biology of 12-LOX and its effects on regulation of platelet activity, hemostasis, and thrombosis, and promote the discovery of structure-based drugs. However, research on platelets and lipid metabolism still faces numerous challenges. For example, lipid droplet-mitochondria interaction in the liver regulates lipid metabolism. Meanwhile, there is controversy over whether autophagy serves a protective function or promotes the occurrence of liver disease. It is speculated that the interaction between mitochondrial autophagy and lipid droplets may be a future research direction. The precise regulatory mechanism of lipid metabolism and how to develop novel antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory drugs with high specificity and low side effects by targeting lipid metabolism remain current challenges. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive overview of platelet lipid metabolism, its interactions with other cells, and its roles in organ function and diseases. This contributes to the discovery of new disease-specific lipid biomarkers and drug targets. Future research could focus on structural modifications of drugs targeting lipid metabolism to enhance selectivity, offering directions for improving safety and efficacy, and developing the most effective individualized treatment plans for patients.
4.Inhibitory effects of Shuyu Pills combined with everolimus on TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in triple-negative breast cancer cells
Xiao-shan LUO ; Su XIE ; Dou-dou FENG ; Yan-yun MENG ; Jing-zhe ZHAO ; Qing XIE ; Xiang-li LING
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(7):2190-2197
AIM To investigate the effects of Shuyu Pills combined with evolimus on the epithelial mesenchymal transformation of triple negative breast cancer cells 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 induced by TGF-β1.METHODS The 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 cells were divided into the blank group and the induction group to induce the epithelial mesenchymal transformation with TGF-β1 cytokine treatment,followed by the assignment into the model group,the Shuyu Pills group,the everolimus group and the Shuyu Pills combined with everolimus group.CCK8 method,plate cloning method,cell scratch test and Transewll test were used to detect the proliferation,cloning formation,migration and invasion ability of the cells whose expressions of E-cadherin,N-cadherin,Vimentin,MMP9,MMP2 and pathway proteins PTEN,PI3K,Akt and mTOR were detected by Western blot.RESULTS Compared with the blank group,the induction group displayed a cell morphological change from epithelioid to stromal,decreased expression of E-cadherin protein(P<0.01);and increased protein expressions of N-cadherin and Vimentin(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,each group intervened with the medicine displayed decreased proliferation,clone formation,migration and invasion ability of both kinds of cells(P<0.01);increased protein expressions of PTEN and E-cadherin(P<0.05,P<0.01);and decreased protein expressions of PI3K,Akt,mTOR,N-cadherin,Vimentin,MMP9 and MMP2(P<0.05,P<0.01);and more significantly in the Shuyu Pills combined with evolimus group(P<0.05,P<0.01).CONCLUSION With a more ideal effect than the single uses in inhibiting the TGF-β1-induced epithelial mesenchymal transformation of triple-negative breast cancer cells,the combination use of Shuyu Pills and everolimus may work through the regulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
5.Percutaneous vertebroplasty with measured saturated bone cement injection for elderly patients with stage Ⅱ Kümmell's disease: a feasibility and clinical efficacy analysis
Liangbing GUO ; Baotian LI ; Long WANG ; Wentao JIANG ; Peilin LIU ; Kai SU ; Zhe SHAO ; Qingde WANG ; Wei MEI
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma 2025;27(4):305-313
Objective:To investigate the feasibility and clinical efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) with measured saturated bone cement injection in the treatment of elderly patients with stage Ⅱ Kümmell's disease.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted to analyze the clinical data of the 41 elderly patients with stage Ⅱ Kümmell's disease who had been treated at Department of Spinal Orthopedics, Zhengzhou Orthopedic Hospital from June 2017 to June 2023 by PVP with bone cement injection into the intravertebral vacuum cleft. According to the amount of bone cement injected, the patients were divided into a saturated volume group (bone cement injection metered ≥ 150% of the cleft volume preoperatively measured) in which there were 21 cases, 4 males and 17 females, aged (78.4±5.2) years and a conventional volume group (bone cement injection metered was 100% to 120% of the cleft volume preoperatively measured) in which there were 20 cases, 6 males and 14 females, aged (79.5±7.4) years. The operative time, vacuum cleft volume measured, actual volume of bone cement injected, and percentage of bone cement injected were compared between the 2 groups. Visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were compared between preoperation, postoperative 3 days, and the final follow-up in the 2 groups, as well as between the 2 groups. Cement leakage and other complications were documented.Results:The differences in the preoperative general data were not statistically significant between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P>0.05). All the 41 elderly patients successfully completed their surgery. Follow-up time was (18.1±3.3) months. The operative time [(39.7±7.5) min], actual volume of bone cement injected [(5.6±0.9) mL], and percentage of bone cement injected (1.8%±0.3%) in the saturated volume group were all significantly greater than those in the conventional volume group [(35.5±4.9) min, (4.4±1.0) mL, and 1.2%±0.1%] ( P<0.05). Postoperatively, the incisions healed completely in all patients, with no such complications as cement-related adverse reactions. Cement leakage occurred in 2 patients in the conventional volume group, leading to lumbar pain or discomfort after activity, which was relieved by cement reinforcement and nail-rod internal fixation. VAS pain scores and ODIs at 3 d postoperatively and at the final follow-up were significantly improved in all patients compared with preoperation ( P<0.05). At the final follow-up, both VAS pain score and ODI in the saturated volume group improved significantly greater than those in the conventional volume group ( P<0.05). None of the patients had complications like cement displacement at the final follow-up. Conclusion:PVP with measured saturated bone cement injection into the intravertebral vacuum clefts is a safe and effective treatment for stage Ⅱ Kümmell's disease in elderly patients, offering a new minimally invasive option.
6.Creation and Exploration of the"Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format"Disci-pline Construction Model for Forensic Medicine in the New Era
Zhi-Wen WEI ; Hong-Xing WANG ; Jun-Hong SUN ; Hao-Liang FAN ; Hong-Liang SU ; Le-Le WANG ; Wen-Ting HE ; Zhe CHEN ; Jie ZHANG ; Xiang-Jie GUO ; Ji LI ; Geng-Qian ZHANG ; Xin-Hua LIANG ; Jiang-Wei YAN ; Qiang-Qiang ZHANG ; Cai-Rong GAO ; Ying-Yuan WANG ; Hong-Wei WANG ; Jun XIE ; Bo-Feng ZHU ; Ke-Ming YUN
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(1):25-29
Forensic medicine has been designated as a first-level discipline,presenting new opportunities and challenges for the development of forensic medicine.Since the 1980s,the establishment of foren-sic medicine discipline and the cultivation of high-level forensic talents have become hot topics in the development of forensic medicine in China.Since the 13th Five-Year Plan,the forensic team of Shanxi Medical University has been aiming at the forefront,proposing the development goals of"Five First-class"and the discipline development path"Six Major Achievements".It has selected benchmark disci-plines,identified gaps in disciplinary development,unified thoughts,formulated completion timelines,concentrated superior resources,assigned tasks to individuals,and created an"Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format"forensic medicine discipline construction model with the characteristics of the new era.The construction model of forensic medicine has achieved good results in the goals,discipline frame-work,scientific research,talent cultivation,discipline team and platform construction,forming a rela-tively complete discipline construction and management system,and accumulating valuable experience for the construction of first-level discipline and high-level talent cultivation of forensic medicine.
7.Advances in sarcopenic obesity in children and adolescents
Runting XIAO ; Zhuoguang LI ; Huiping SU ; Zhe SU
International Journal of Pediatrics 2025;52(2):112-116
The persistent rise in obesity rates among children and adolescents has become a global public health crisis.Most obesity in childhood continues into adulthood,increasing the risk of related chronic diseases.Under the background of the obesity epidemic,there is a comprehensive decline in physical fitness among children and adolescents,with a continuous reduction in muscle mass and strength.This has led to a state of muscle loss coexisting with obesity,which interact to form a vicious cycle that significantly increases the risk of metabolic complications.This coexisting state is currently defined as sarcopenic obesity.There is a lack of established consensus for the assessment of sarcopenic obesity in children,with only a few reports from abroad and insufficient data in domestic literature.This article describes the epidemiology,definition,pathogenesis,diagnosis,and treatment of sarcopenic obesity in children,providing clinical insights for early identification and intervention of this disease in pediatric practice.
8.Evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation treatment after internal fixation of thoracolumbar spine fracture in adults (version 2025)
Zhengwei XU ; Liming CHENG ; Qixin CHEN ; Jian DONG ; Shunwu FAN ; Zhong FANG ; Shiqing FENG ; Haoyu FENG ; Haishan GUAN ; Weimin JIANG ; Dianming JIANG ; Yong HAI ; Lijun HE ; Yuan HE ; Bo LI ; Jianjun LI ; Feng LI ; Li LI ; Weishi LI ; Chunde LI ; Qi LIAO ; Baoge LIU ; Xiaoguang LIU ; Yong LIU ; Xuhua LU ; Shibao LU ; Bin LIN ; Wei MEI ; Chao MA ; Renfu QUAN ; Limin RONG ; Jiacan SU ; Honghui SUN ; Yuemin SONG ; Hongxun SANG ; Jun SHU ; Tiansheng SUN ; Jiwei TIAN ; Qiang WANG ; Xinwei WANG ; Zhe WANG ; Zheng WANG ; Liang YAN ; Guoyong YIN ; Jie ZHAO ; Yue ZHU ; Xiaobo ZHANG ; Xuesong ZHANG ; Zhongmin ZHANG ; Rongqiang ZHANG ; Dingjun HAO ; Yanzheng GAO ; Baorong HE
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2025;41(1):19-32
Thoracolumbar spine fracture often leads to severe pain, functional impairments, and neurological deficits, for which open reduction and internal fixation can effectively restore the spinal structural stability. Open decompression and reduction with internal fixation can help relieve spinal cord compression and improve spinal function in cases of concomitant cord injury. Although spinal stability can be restored through surgery, patients often face chronic pain and functional impairments postoperatively. A postoperative rehabilitation program is critical in optimizing therapeutic outcomes, reducing complications, and minimizing the risk of secondary injuries. However, current rehabilitation methods, such as physical therapy, functional training, and pain management, are confronted with problems in clinical practice, including significant variation in efficacy, poor patient adherence, and prolonged rehabilitation period. There is an urgent need for a unified rehabilitation strategy to address these problems. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the Spine Health Professional Committee of the Chinese Human Health Technology Promotion Association organized experts from relevant fields to formulate Evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation treatment after internal fixation of thoracolumbar spine fracture in adults ( version 2025) by integrating evidences from clinical researches and advanced rehabilitation concepts at home and abroad. A total number of 14 recommendations concerning the rehabilitation treatment with multimodal analgesia, psychological intervention, deep vein thrombosis prevention, core muscle and extremity exercise, appropriate use of braces, early weight-bearing, device-aided rehabilitation exercise, neuroregulatory therapy, rehabilitation team were put forward, aiming to standardize the post-operative rehabilitation process following internal fixation, promote the functional recovery, and enhance patients′ quality of life.
9.Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation of acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (version 2025)
Bolong ZHENG ; Wei MEI ; Yanzheng GAO ; Liming CHENG ; Jian CHEN ; Qixin CHEN ; Liang CHEN ; Xigao CHENG ; Jian DONG ; Jin FAN ; Shunwu FAN ; Xiangqian FANG ; Zhong FANG ; Shiqing FENG ; Haoyu FENG ; Haishan GUAN ; Yong HAI ; Baorong HE ; Lijun HE ; Yuan HE ; Hua HUI ; Weimin JIANG ; Junjie JIANG ; Dianming JIANG ; Xuewen KANG ; Hua GUO ; Jianjun LI ; Feng LI ; Li LI ; Weishi LI ; Chunde LI ; Qi LIAO ; Baoge LIU ; Xiaoguang LIU ; Xuhua LU ; Shibao LU ; Bin LIN ; Chao MA ; Xuexiao MA ; Renfu QUAN ; Limin RONG ; Honghui SUN ; Tiansheng SUN ; Yueming SONG ; Hongxun SANG ; Jun SHU ; Jiacan SU ; Jiwei TIAN ; Xinwei WANG ; Zhe WANG ; Zheng WANG ; Zhengwei XU ; Huilin YANG ; Jiancheng YANG ; Liang YAN ; Feng YAN ; Guoyong YIN ; Xuesong ZHANG ; Zhongmin ZHANG ; Jie ZHAO ; Yuhong ZENG ; Yue ZHU ; Rongqiang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2025;41(9):805-818
Acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture (ASOTLF) can lead to chronic low back pain, kyphosis deformity, pulmonary dysfunction, loss of mobility, and even life-threatening complications. Vertebral augmentation is currently the mainstream treatment method for this condition. In 2019, the Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Trauma and the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Surgeons Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association collaboratively led the development of Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation for acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures. Six years later, with advances in clinical diagnosis and treatment techniques as well as accumulating evidence in related fields, the 2019 guideline requires updating. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Surgeons Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, the Spinal Health Professional Committee of China Human Health Science and Technology Promotion Association, and the Minimally Invasive Orthopedics Professional Committee of Shaanxi Medical Doctor Association have organized experts in the field to develop the Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation of acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025) , based on the latest evidence-based medical researches. This guideline incorporates 3 recommendations retained from the 2019 version with updated strength of evidence, along with 12 new recommendations. It provides recommendations from six aspects of diagnosis, pain management, treatment option selection, prevention of postoperative complications, anti-osteoporosis therapy, and postoperative rehabilitation, aiming to provide a reference for standard treatment of vertebral augmentation for ASOTLF in hospitals at all levels.
10.Comparison of three artificial intelligence-assisted bone age assessment methods for predicting adult height in girls
Jinfeng CHEN ; Huiping SU ; Shuangyi LIU ; Shurong HUANG ; Li WANG ; Xiu ZHAO ; Qiru SU ; Rongfei ZHENG ; Zhe SU
Chinese Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 2025;41(6):460-466
Objective:To compare the accuracy and applicability of three adult height prediction methods based on artificial intelligence-assisted bone age assessment—the Bayley-Pinneau method(BP method), the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 method(TW3 method), and China 05 method—in girls.Methods:This bidirectional cohort study collected clinical data and 690 posteroanterior X-ray images of the left hand from 278 female children who underwent pubertal development assessments at Shenzhen Children′s Hospital between January 2014 and December 2020, with follow-up until adult height was reached. Adult height prediction was performed using BP, TW3, and China 05 methods on artificial intelligence-assisted bone age assessment.Results:The BP and TW3 methods overestimated adult height by(1.7±3.7) cm and(2.6±3.0) cm, respectively, while the China 05 method underestimated adult height by(2.3±3.5) cm. The proportion of PAH within±5 cm of FAH were 80.0% for the TW3 method, 77.0% for the BP method, and 74.2% for the China 05 method, with significant differences among them( P=0.038). Analysis of cases with prediction deviations>10 cm and subgroup comparisons revealed that the TW3 and BP methods were more likely to overestimate adult height in girls aged 6.0-<8.0 years, with delayed bone age, or in the prepubertal stage(all P<0.001). The China 05 method was more prone to underestimate adult height in those with advanced bone age( P<0.001). All three methods showed significantly greater prediction errors(absolute difference between PAH and FAH) in girls with early puberty compared to those with normal pubertal development(all P<0.05). Conclusions:The TW3 and BP methods tend to overestimate adult height in girls, while the China 05 method tends to underestimate it. Caution is warranted when predicting adult height, particularly in girls under 8 years of bone age, with delayed or advanced bone age, and those with early puberty.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail