1.Sanren Runchang Formula Regulates Brain-gut Axis to Treat IBS-C: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Teng LI ; Xinrong FAN ; He YAN ; Zhuozhi GONG ; Mengxi YAO ; Na YANG ; Yuhan WANG ; Huikai HU ; Wei WEI ; Tao LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):154-161
ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Sanren Runchang formula in treating constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C) by regulating the brain-gut axis and the effects of the formula on serum levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and substance P (SP). MethodsA randomized controlled design was adopted, and 72 IBS-C patients meeting Rome Ⅳ criteria were randomized into observation and control groups (36 cases).The observation group received Sanren Runchang formula granules twice daily, and the control group received lactulose oral solution daily for 4 weeks. IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS), IBS Quality of Life Scale (IBS-QOL), and Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) were used to assess clinical symptoms, and bowel movement frequency was recorded. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were employed to evaluate psychological status. ELISA was employed to measure the serum levels of 5-HT, VIP, and SP. ResultsThe total response rate in the observation group was 91.67% (33/36), which was higher than that (77.78%, 28/36) in the control group (χ2=4.50, P<0.05). After treatment, both groups showed increased defecation frequency and BSFS scores, decreased IBS-SSS total score, abdominal pain and bloating scores, IBS-QOL health anxiety, anxiety, food avoidance, and behavioral disorders scores, SAS and SDS scores, serum 5-HT and VIP levels, and increased SP levels (P<0.05, P<0.01). Moreover, the observation group showed more significant changes in the indicators above than the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The SP level showed no significant difference between the two groups. During the 4-week follow-up, the recurrence rate was 5.88% in the observation group and 31.25% in the control group. No adverse events occurred in observation group, and 2 cases of mild diarrhea occurred in the control group. ConclusionSanren Runchang formula demonstrated definitive efficacy in alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms and improving the psychological status and quality of life in IBS-C patients, with a low recurrence rate. The formula can regulate serum levels of neurotransmitters such as 5-HT and VIP, suggesting its potential regulatory effect on the brain-gut axis through modulating neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. However, its complete mechanism of action requires further investigation through detection of additional brain-gut axis-related biomarkers.
2.Construction of Risk Prediction Model for Frequent Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Under Disease-syndrome Combination
Jing ZHOU ; Gang TENG ; Nianzhi ZHANG ; Yuanyuan WANG ; Qianqian ZHANG ; He HUANG ; Ling LIU ; Mei DONG ; Juan JI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):143-151
ObjectiveTo construct a risk prediction model for frequent acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) under disease-syndrome combination, thus providing decision support for precise clinical intervention. MethodsA total of 2 029 patients with acute exacerbations of COPD admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to August 2024 were retrospectively included. These patients were classified into groups of frequent acute exacerbations (≥2 times/year) and infrequent acute exacerbations (<2 times/year) according to the hospitalization times per year. Risk factors were screened by LASSO regression combined with logistic regression, and a nomogram model was constructed. The model performance was assessed based on the area under the curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). ResultsThe differences in baseline characteristics between the frequent acute exacerbations group (1 196 cases) and infrequent acute exacerbations group (833 cases) were not statistically significant. LASSO regression combined with multivariate logistic regression screened the following independent risk factors: body mass index (BMI), hospitalization days, number of smoking years, place of residence, use of noninvasive ventilators, oxygen-demanding therapy, liver cirrhosis, use of systemic glucocorticosteroids, and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome (phlegm and stasis obstructing the lung). The nomogram model showed good discrimination and calibration in both the training set (AUC=0.748) and validation set (AUC=0.774). ConclusionThe risk prediction model for frequent acute exacerbations of COPD, integrating traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, constructed in this study has high accuracy. It can provide a scientific basis for early clinical identification of high-risk patients and individualized intervention.
3.Barriers to and facilitating pathways for incorporating retail pharmacies into outpatient pooling policies
Liqing LI ; Jiashan TENG ; Guangjin ZHONG
China Pharmacy 2026;37(5):571-577
OBJECTIVE To analyze the deep-seated impeding factors in the implementation process of the policy integrating retail pharmacies into the outpatient pooling system, and explore practical paths to improve policy implementation efficiency. METHODS Based on Smith’s policy implementation process model, an analytical framework was constructed. Selecting Hunan province as a typical sample, this study combined policy text analysis and semi-structured interviews to conduct an in-depth interpretation of relevant policy documents and interviewed a total of 42 key stakeholders from multiple parties, including medical insurance administrative departments, designated medical institutions, retail pharmacies, and insured persons, and the interview texts were analyzed. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS The study indicated that the effective implementation of this policy faces four dimensions of impediments: first, the policy itself suffered from systemic design problems and insufficient coordination, leading to source-based constraints; second, there was a lack of effective synergy mechanisms among implementing agencies, resulting in fragmented service and supervision capabilities, and their behaviors were distorted by interest-driven motives; third, there were cognitive biases regarding the policy among the target group, and their behaviors were distorted by interest-driven motives; fourth, environmental factors such as pressure on medical insurance funds and traditional medical-seeking concepts overlapped to restrict the space for policy implementation. Therefore, the following optimization strategies are proposed: strengthening top-level design to eliminate rule ambiguity and implementation deviation; improving multi-party synergy mechanisms to enhance policy operational efficiency; deepening policy interpretation and interest coordination to guide rational behavior among the target group; and breaking environmental barriers to build an external ecosystem adaptable to policy development, thereby promoting the high quality development of incorporating retail pharmacies into the outpatient pooling system.
4.Study on medication adherence factors among patients with severe mental disorders in Zhuhai city based on XGBoost model
Zhongshu YE ; Yongyong TENG ; Jingju QUAN ; Yajun SUN ; Jiaju HUANG ; Yixuan WU ; Changlin HAN ; Guangchuan ZHANG
Sichuan Mental Health 2026;39(1):36-43
BackgroundLow medication compliance among patients with severe mental disorders increases the disease burden on both the patients' families and the society. Medication adherence is influenced by numerous factors. Traditional methods such as Logistic regression struggle to quantify the importance of these factors. By introducing Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) combined with Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP), enables the quantification of the relative contribution weights of each factor, providing support for identifying the core influencing factors. ObjectiveTo explore the influencing factors of medication adherence among patients with severe mental disorders in Zhuhai, aiming to provide references for optimizing patient management strategies. MethodsExtract the data of patients with severe mental disorders who were registered on the mental health system platform in Zhuhai City from January 1, 2023 to March 31, 2025. A total of 9 329 patients were finally included for analysis. Influencing factors were screened using univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and an XGBoost model combined with the SHAP algorithm was constructed to quantify the importance of each influencing factor. ResultsAmong 9 329 patients, 8 446 demonstrated medication adherence, yielding an adherence rate of 90.53%. Multivariable analysis identified several risk factors significantly associated with medication non-adherence, being unmarried (OR=1.237, 95% CI: 1.019–1.502) or divorced (OR=1.389, 95% CI: 1.038–1.832), a diagnosis of mental retardation with psychiatric disorders (OR=3.025, 95% CI: 2.402–3.796) or paranoid psychosis (OR=5.117, 95% CI: 3.086–8.299), a disease duration of 2–4 years (OR=1.355, 95% CI: 1.085–1.696), 4–6 years (OR=2.143, 95% CI: 1.671–2.747), or >6 years (OR=1.681, 95% CI: 1.365–2.079), lack of guardian subsidies (OR=1.412, 95% CI: 1.099–1.801), absence of a disability certificate (OR=1.900, 95% CI: 1.588–2.282), not being enrolled in care and support groups (OR=1.384, 95% CI: 1.183–1.617) or community services (OR=1.313, 95% CI: 1.042–1.645), and not cohabiting with a guardian (OR=1.257, 95% CI: 1.048–1.501). Conversely, the enrollment in special outpatient disease programs (OR=0.716, 95% CI: 0.609–0.842) and a family history of mental illness (OR=0.713, 95% CI: 0.503–0.982) were identified as protective factors. The XGBoost model exhibited robust predictive performance, with a sensitivity of 0.433, specificity of 0.944, accuracy of 0.891, Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.837, and F1 value of 0.449. Feature importance ranking indicated that the top three factors were disease duration, diagnosis, and the acquisition of disability certificates. ConclusionPolicy-based support (acquisition of disability certificates, special outpatient disease enrollment) and clinical disease characteristics (disease duration, diagnosis type) are key factors affecting medication adherence among patients with severe mental disorders in Zhuhai City. [Funded by Zhuhai Medical Research Project (number, 2220009000281)]
5.Risk factors associated with postoperative adjuvant therapy for resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Teng ZENG ; Rui HE ; Xiaobo CHEN ; Chao MING ; Guangqiang ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(02):326-332
The benefit of postoperative adjuvant therapy for patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is not yet supported by high-level evidence. This review analyzes the role of adjuvant therapy by examining the discrepancy between clinical needs and guidelines, its historical evolution, recent advances in high-risk factors, and future outlooks. We provide a detailed discussion of high-risk factors used for patient selection, including lymph node positivity, and for node-negative patients, features such as tumor length, location, T stage, extent of lymph node dissection, differentiation, vascular and neural invasion, laboratory indices, and molecular markers. The goal is to inform the development of individualized precision treatment strategies for resectable ESCC.
6.Naoqingtong Decoction Ameliorates Kidney Damage in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats via NLRP3 Inflammasomes
Jiaxin JU ; Caocao CHENG ; Teng GE ; Yalong KANG ; Fang GUAN ; Haifang WANG ; Juanjuan TAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):125-131
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Naoqingtong decoction (NQT) on the kidney damage and the inflammatory factors NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a C-terminal caspase recruitment domain (ASC), cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 (Caspase-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). MethodsTwenty-four SHRs were randomized into a model group, a low-dose (12.9 g·kg-1·d-1) NQT (NQT-L) group, a high-dose (25.8 g·kg-1·d-1) NQT group (NQT-H), and a captopril (CTP, 20 mg·kg-1·d-1) group, with 6 rats in each group. In addition, 6 homozygous male Wistar-Kyoto rats were used as the control group. The control and model groups were administrated with the same amount of normal saline by gavage for 8 weeks. General behaviors of rats were observed during the intervention period, and the blood pressure was measured periodically. At the end of intervention, the body mass was weighed, and both kidneys were collected and weighed for the calculation of the renal index. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe the pathological changes in the kidney tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blot were employed to determine the expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in the kidney tissue. ResultsDuring the experiment period, the control group had normal mental status, food intake, and activity, while the model group showed thinning of hair, loss of luster, reduced activity, loss of appetite, fecal adhesion, and irritability, and some of the skin had scratches or blood scabs. The above symptoms were alleviated to different degrees after 8 weeks of NQT administration. An intelligent non-invasive sphygmomanometer was used to measure the tail artery pressure of rats, which showed that the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of rats in the model group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, drug interventions lowered the systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the model group showed severe pathological damage in the kidney tissue, which was alleviated in each drug intervention group. Compared with the control group, the model group showed up-regulated expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in the kidney tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the drug intervention groups showed down-regulated expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in the kidney tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionNQT can lower the blood pressure in SHRs by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, suppressing renal inflammation, and ameliorating hypertensive kidney damage.
7.Efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab in treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Teng ZHANG ; Quan WANG ; Wengang LI ; Xuezhang DUAN
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(1):69-74
ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab in the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) and related prognostic factors. MethodsA total of 42 patients with uHCC who underwent SBRT combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab in Department of Radiation Oncology, The Fifth Medical Centre of PLA General Hospital, from March to December 2022 were enrolled. The prescribed dose of planning target volume was 36 — 50 Gy in 5 — 6 fractions for continuous irradiation, followed by the regimen of sintilimab and bevacizumab. Each course of treatment was 3 weeks until the presence of tumor progression or serious adverse events. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate overall survival (OS) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) rate, and the log-rank test was used for comparison between groups; the Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the influencing factors for prognosis. ResultsThe median follow-up time was 21.6 months, with an objective response rate of 69%, a disease control rate of 85.7%, a median PFS of 10.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.7 — 13.0), and a median OS of 23.3 months (95%CI: 14.7 — 31.8). Most adverse events were grade 1 — 2 events, and there were no fatal adverse events. At 6 — 8 weeks after treatment, the AFP response group had a significantly better OS than the non-AFP response group (not reached vs 11.8 months, P=0.007). The multivariate analysis showed that AFP response was associated with the good prognosis of patients (hazard ratio=0.31, 95%CI: 0.13 — 0.75, P=0.009). ConclusionFor patients with uHCC, SBRT combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab can improve survival with a manageable safety profile, and a >50% reduction in AFP at 6 — 8 weeks after treatment can be used as a potential prognostic indicator.
8.Exploring Vascular Recruitment in Tracheobronchial Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma from Perspective of Abnormal Collateral
Jun TENG ; Lei LI ; Junyan XIA ; Yi LUO ; Qinyan HONG ; Shuiping CHEN ; Hongwu WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(6):260-269
Tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma (TACC) is a low-grade malignant tumor originating from the airway mucosa. Despite its slow progression,it is characterized by high invasiveness,frequent recurrence,and a strong tendency for metastasis. Preclinical studies have shown that vascular-targeted therapy holds significant potential. However,an effective systemic treatment for TACC has not been established yet. This study explored TACC from the perspective of "Feiji" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as the starting point. It deeply investigated the mechanisms of abnormal collaterals and tumor vascular recruitment and further elaborated on the theoretical connection between abnormal collaterals and tumor vascular recruitment. Firstly,collateral hyperactivity led to disordered and erratic pulmonary collaterals. Their abnormal structures were similar to the disorderly and tortuous nature of tumor (pseudo)angiogenesis. This resulted in imbalances in the functions of circulation,perfusion,and reverse injection of the pulmonary collaterals,and then led to unrestrained collateral dysfunction and the accumulation of pathogenic factors. Secondly,the remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in TACC were critical processes in vascular co-option (VCO),representing the micro-level manifestation of the displacement of nutrient and defense. During this process,ECM remodeling made TACC cells more likely to hijack normal blood vessels,creating a complex vascular microenvironment conducive to tumor growth. In terms of treatment,this study proposed a TCM strategy of "regulating collaterals to expel pathogenic factors and nourishing collaterals to strengthen the healthy Qi",and listed potential TCM. These were intended to regulate the Qi and blood in the collaterals,repair the functions of abnormal collaterals,and intervene in the vascular recruitment process of TACC. Future research should focus on improving the TCM clinical syndrome characteristics of TACC. Through modern molecular biology techniques,it is necessary to deeply analyze the micro-level pattern of vascular recruitment in TACC. This would enrich the understanding of the profound connection between abnormal collaterals and tumor vascular recruitment,providing empirical evidence for TCM-targeted therapies for vascular recruitment in TACC.
9.The Neurobiological Mechanisms of Runner’s High
Yun-Teng WANG ; Jia-Qi LIANG ; Wan-Tang SU ; Li ZHAO ; Yan LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):358-373
“Runner’s high” refers to a momentary sense of pleasure that suddenly appears during running or other exercise activities, characterized by anti-anxiety, pain relief, and other symptoms. The neurobiological mechanism of “runner’s high” is unclear. This review summarizes human and animal models for studying “runner’s high”, analyzes the neurotransmitters and neural circuits involved in runner’s high, and elucidates the evidence and shortcomings of researches related to “runner’s high”. This review also provides prospects for future research. Research has found that exercise lasting more than 30 min and with an intensity exceeding 70% of the maximum heart rate can reach a “runner’s high”. Human experiments on “runner’s high” mostly use treadmill exercise intervention, and evaluate it through questionnaire surveys, measurement of plasma AEA, miRNA and other indicators. Animal experiments often use voluntary wheel running intervention, and evaluate it through behavioral experiments such as conditional place preference, light dark box experiments (anxiety), hot plate experiments (pain sensitivity), and measurement of plasma AEA and other indicators. Dopamine, endogenous opioid peptides, endogenous cannabinoids, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and other substances increase after exercise, which may be related to the “runner’s high”. However, attention should be paid to the functional differences of these substances in the central and peripheral regions, as well as in different brain regions. Moreover, current studies have not identified the targets of the neurotransmitters or neural factors mentioned above, and further in-depth researches are needed. The mesolimbic dopamine system, prefrontal cortex-nucleus accumbens projection, ventral hippocampus-nucleus accumbens projection, red nucleus-ventral tegmental area projection, cerebellar-ventral tegmental area projection, and brain-gut axis may be involved in the regulation of runner’s high, but there is a lack of direct evidence to prove their involvement. There are still many issues that need to be addressed in the research on the neurobiological mechanisms of “runner’s high”. (1) Most studies on “runner’s high” involve one-time exercise, and the characteristics of changes in “runner’s high” during long-term exercise still need to be explored. (2) The using of scales to evaluate subjects lead to the lacking of objective indicators. However, some potential biomarkers (such as endocannabinoids) have inconsistent characteristics of changes after one-time and long-term exercise. (3) The neurotransmitters involved in the formation of the “runner’s high” all increase in the peripheral and/or central nervous system after exercise. Attention should be paid to whether peripheral substances can enter the blood-brain barrier and the binding effects of neurotransmitters to different receptors are completely different in different brain regions. (4) Most of the current evidence show that some brain regions are activated after exercise. Is there a functional circuit mediating “runner’s high” between these brain regions? (5) Although training at a specific exercise intensity can lead to “runner’s high”, most runners have not experienced “runner’s high”. Can more scientific training methods or technological means be used to make it easier for people to experience the “runner’s high” and thus be more willing to engage in exercise? (6) The “runner’s high” and “addiction” behaviors are extremely similar, and there are evidences that exercise can reverse addictive behaviors. However, why is there still a considerable number of people in the sports population and even athletes who smoke or use addictive drugs instead of pursuing the “pleasure” brought by exercise? Solving the problems above is of great significance for enhancing the desire of exercise, improving the clinical application of neurological and psychiatric diseases through exercise, and enhancing the overall physical fitness of the population.
10.Long non-coding RNA directly or indirectly affects osteoporosis through p38MAPK signaling pathway
Hao QIN ; Teng KANG ; Gang LIU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(1):175-184
BACKGROUND:In recent years,numerous studies have found that long non-coding RNA is involved in the occurrence and development of osteoporosis.p38MAPK signaling pathway is involved in the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,osteoblasts and osteoclasts,and participates in the development of osteoporosis.LncRNA can directly or indirectly participate in the occurrence and development of osteoporosis by affecting the p38MAPK signaling pathway. OBJECTIVE:To review the effect of long non-coding RNA directly or indirectly on the progression of osteoporosis through the p38MAPK signaling pathway,and to provide a new idea for long non-coding RNA in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. METHODS:PubMed,CNKI,and Wanfang databases were searched with"long non-coding RNA,osteoporosis,mesenchymal stem cells,osteoblasts,osteoclasts,p38 signaling pathway"as the Chinese and English search terms.Old,repeated and low-credibility views were excluded.The retrieved literature was summarized,summed up,and analyzed.Seventy-six representative articles were selected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Long non-coding RNA participates in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis through a variety of ways,including promoting the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,promoting the differentiation and secretion activity of osteoblasts,inhibiting the proliferation and bone resorption of osteoclasts,and regulating the activation or inhibition of osteoblast-related cellular pathways.Activation of p38MAPK signaling pathway can delay the progression of osteoporosis,and inhibition of p38MAPK signaling pathway can inhibit the absorption of osteoclasts,thereby affecting the occurrence and development of osteoporosis.(2)The overexpression or low expression of the corresponding long non-coding RNA can affect the proliferation or differentiation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts through the p38MAPK signaling pathway,regulate the process of bone remodeling,and then affect the occurrence and development of osteoporosis.A large number of basic research results show that long non-coding RNA and p38MAPK signaling pathway may be potential application and clinical translation value in the treatment of osteoporosis.Moreover,the corresponding long non-coding RNA overexpression or low expression lentivirus,transfection plasmid,and the corresponding p38MAPK signaling pathway inhibitor have been confirmed to have targeted regulatory effects in vitro cell experiments and animal models.(3)Therefore,targeting long non-coding RNA and p38MAPK signaling pathways to regulate the differentiation and function of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells or inhibiting the proliferation and differentiation of osteoclasts may provide an innovative therapeutic strategy to delay the progression of osteoporosis.

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