To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

Background As common public facilities essential to daily life, hair and beauty salons frequently contain various airborne toxic and hazardous pollutants potentially leading to adverse health effects for salon practitioners. Objective To characterize the indoor air pollution profiles of common contaminants in hair and beauty salons in Shanghai and to evaluate the associated health risks for practitioners, in order to provide a scientific basis for strengthening the public health management in Shanghai and protecting the health of practitioners. Methods The air quality monitoring data of hair and beauty salons in Shanghai from 2016 to 2024 were obtained from the “Health Hazard Factors Monitoring Program for Public Places” of the National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Monitoring indicators included particulate matter ≤10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM₁₀), particulate matter ≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM_2.5), formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene. Indicator compliance rates were calculated across various years in accordance with GB 9666-1996 Hygienic standard for barber shop and beauty shop and GB 37488-2019 Hygiene indicators and limit for public places; specifically, PM_2.5 was assessed against the limits stipulated in GB/T 18883-2022 Standards for indoor air quality. A questionnaire survey was conducted among salon practitioners to collect weekly working days and daily working hours. The non-carcinogenic risks associated with inhalation exposure to formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene as well as the carcinogenic risks posed by formaldehyde and benzene were evaluated following WS/T 777-2021 Technical guide for environmental health risk assessment of chemical exposure and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inhalation risk model. Results The overall compliance rates of PM₁₀, formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, and toluene in the air of hair and beauty salons in Shanghai from 2016 to 2024 were 92.13%, 96.59%, 96.15%, 94.93%, and 94.97%, respectively; the overall compliance rate of xylene was a little lower (85.92%), and the overall compliance rate of PM_2.5 was 57.18%. The P₅₀ concentrations of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene did not exceed the corresponding limits. The P₅₀ of non-carcinogenic risk indicator (hazard quotient, HQ) for formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene were <1. The probabilities of non-carcinogenic risk HQ >1 for formaldehyde and xylene were 41.4% and 10.9%, respectively, which were higher than that of other pollutants. The P₅₀ of carcinogenic risk (CR) for formaldehyde and benzene were between 1.0×10⁻⁶ and 1.0×10⁻⁴, while the probabilities of CR >1.0×10⁻⁴ were 16.9% and 14.0%, respectively. Conclusion The overall compliance rate of common pollutant concentrations in the air of hair and beauty salons in Shanghai is high, and the hygienic condition meets the requirements of national standards. The non-carcinogenic health risks posed by formaldehyde and xylene to employees (with formaldehyde being more prominent), as well as the carcinogenic risks associated with formaldehyde and benzene, deserve heightened attention in future health supervision.

Objective To investigate the causal relationship between metabolic syndrome and breast cancer by using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Methods Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for metabolic syndrome and breast cancer were acquired from the Integrative Epidemiology Unit GWAS database and the GWAS Catalog, with populations encompassing the United States and East Asia. A bidirectional causal design was employed: a forward analysis with metabolic syndrome as the exposure and breast cancer as the outcome, followed by a reverse analysis wherein their roles were interchanged. The inverse-variance weighting (IVW) method was primarily used for effect estimation, supplemented by MR-Egger regression, the weighted median method, the simple mode method, and the weighted mode method. Instrument variable strength was screened using the F-statistic (F>10). Robustness of the results was assessed through heterogeneity tests, horizontal pleiotropy tests, forest plots, and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses. Results The IVW analysis indicated no significant causal relationship between metabolic syndrome and breast cancer (OR=1.00, 95%CI: 0.97-1.03), P>0.05). Sensitivity analyses yielded consistent results, suggesting the good robustness of the study findings. Conclusion This study found no evidence to support a causal relationship, either positive or negative, between metabolic syndrome and breast cancer.

The accumulation of uremic toxins such as urea nitrogen, blood creatinine, and uric acid of patients with renal failure in vivo would lead to aggravated kidney damage. In this study, coated aldehyde oxy-starch (CAO) was used as an adsorbent to investigate its in vitro adsorption performance on renal failure indexes for urea, indoxyl sulfate (INS), monomethylamine (MMA), dimethylamine (DMA), uric acid (UA), and creatinine (Cr). The effects of variables such as pH, temperature, concentration, dosage, and time on the adsorption capacity of CAO were systematically investigated, employing analytical techniques of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). The results revealed that CAO exhibited a strong adsorption capacity for urea, INS, and MMA, alongside a moderate adsorption capacity for DMA, UA, and Cr. The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption of urea and UA by CAO were fitted in pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the adsorption isotherm aligned with the Freundlich adsorption model. The enthalpy change ΔH of urea in adsorption was in the range of 40 to 60 kJ·mol^-1, which demonstrated the presence of strong adsorption force due to the interactions of coordinating groups. The ΔH of UA was greater than 80 kJ·mol^-1, indicating the generation of chemical bonds during the adsorption. Both of them, Gibbs free energy ΔG was less than 0, within the range of -20 to 0 kJ·mol^-1, suggested that the adsorption of urea and UA by CAO occurred spontaneously as physical adsorption process. The adsorption entropy ΔS of urea and UA was > 0, which indicated an increase in entropy throughout the adsorption. The infrared spectroscopygram showed the formation of a chemical bond, specifically the imine bond, following the adsorption of urea by CAO, thereby indicating a chemical reaction during the adsorption. This study elucidates the adsorption mechanism of CAO on various indexes of renal failure, providing a scientific basis for its clinical usage.

The genome tagging project (GTP) plays a pivotal role in addressing a critical gap in the understanding of protein functions. Within this framework, we successfully generated a human influenza hemagglutinin-tagged sperm-specific protein 411 (HA-tagged Ssp411) mouse model. This model is instrumental in probing the expression and function of Ssp411. Our research revealed that Ssp411 is expressed in the round spermatids, elongating spermatids, elongated spermatids, and epididymal spermatozoa. The comprehensive examination of the distribution of Ssp411 in these germ cells offers new perspectives on its involvement in spermiogenesis. Nevertheless, rigorous further inquiry is imperative to elucidate the precise mechanistic underpinnings of these functions. Ssp411 is not detectable in metaphase II (MII) oocytes, zygotes, or 2-cell stage embryos, highlighting its intricate role in early embryonic development. These findings not only advance our understanding of the role of Ssp411 in reproductive physiology but also significantly contribute to the overarching goals of the GTP, fostering groundbreaking advancements in the fields of spermiogenesis and reproductive biology.
Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Spermatids/metabolism* ; Spermatogenesis/physiology* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Thioredoxins/genetics*

This consensus will introduce the characteristics of fillers used in the surgical cavities of domestic nasal surgery patients based on relevant literature and expert opinions. It will also provide recommendations for the selection of cavity fillers for different nasal diseases, with chronic sinusitis as a representative example.
Humans ; Nasal Cavity/surgery* ; Nasal Surgical Procedures ; China ; Consensus ; Sinusitis/surgery* ; Dermal Fillers

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic interstitial lung disease, is characterized by aberrant wound healing, excessive scarring and the formation of myofibroblastic foci. Although the role of alternative splicing (AS) in the pathogenesis of organ fibrosis has garnered increasing attention, its specific contribution to pulmonary fibrosis remains incompletely understood. In this study, we identified an up-regulation of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 7 (SRSF7) in lung fibroblasts derived from IPF patients and a bleomycin (BLM)-induced mouse model, and further characterized its functional role in both human fetal lung fibroblasts and mice. We demonstrated that enhanced expression of Srsf7 in mice spontaneously induced alveolar collagen accumulation. Mechanistically, we investigated alternative splicing events and revealed that SRSF7 modulates the alternative splicing of pyruvate kinase (PKM), leading to metabolic dysregulation and fibroblast activation. In vivo studies showed that fibroblast-specific knockout of Srsf7 in conditional knockout mice conferred resistance to bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Importantly, through drug screening, we identified lomitapide as a novel modulator of SRSF7, which effectively mitigated experimental pulmonary fibrosis. Collectively, our findings elucidate a molecular pathway by which SRSF7 drives fibroblast metabolic dysregulation and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.

Triple-negative breast cancer is therapeutically challenging due to the low expression of tumor markers and 'cold' tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we present a dual-targeting peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) for tumor inhibition. Our PDC efficiently and selectively delivers cytotoxic Monomethyl Auristatin E (MMAE) into tumor cells via C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and folate receptor 1 (FOLR1) for synergistic inhibition of growth and metastasis. Our results show that the dual-targeting PDC has potent antitumor activity in cultured human cells and several murine transplanted tumor models without apparent toxicity. The combination of dual-targeting PDC and radiotherapy modulates the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment by increasing CD8⁺ T cell infiltration and attenuating the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor and regulatory T cells. Therefore, our dual-targeting PDC represents a promising new strategy for cancer therapy that rebalances the immune system and promotes tumor regression.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the efficacy of DSA-guided intrathecal drug delivery system combined with Zi Wu Liu Zhu Acupoint Therapy for management of cancer pain and provide reference for its standardized clinical application. Methods and. RESULTS: Recommendations were formulated based on literature review and expert group discussion, and consensus was reached following expert consultation. The consensus recommendations are comprehensive, covering the entire treatment procedures from preoperative assessment and preparation, surgical operation process, postoperative management and traditional Chinese medicine treatment to individualized treatment planning. The study results showed that the treatment plans combining traditional Chinese with Western medicine effectively alleviated cancer pain, reduced the use of opioid drugs, and significantly improved the quality of life and enhanced immune function of the patients. Postoperative follow-up suggested good treatment tolerance among the patients without serious complications. CONCLUSIONS The formulated consensus is comprehensive and can provide reference for clinicians to use DSA-guided intrathecal drug delivery system combined with Zi Wu Liu Zhu Acupoint Therapy. The combined treatment has a high clinical value with a good safety profile for management of cancer pain.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Cancer Pain/therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Pain Management/methods* ; China

OBJECTIVE: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies seen in clinic and requires novel treatment options. Morin is a natural flavonoid extracted from the flower stalk of a highly valuable medicinal plant Prunella vulgaris L., which exhibits an anti-cancer effect in multiple types of tumors. However, the therapeutic effect and underlying mechanism of morin in treating GC remains elusive. The study aims to explore the therapeutic effect and underlying molecular mechanisms of morin in GC. METHODS: For in vitro experiments, the proliferation inhibition of morin was measured by cell counting kit-8 assay and colony formation assay in human GC cell line MKN45, human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS, and human gastric epithelial cell line GES-1; for apoptosis analysis, microscopic photography, Western blotting, ubiquitination analysis, quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, flow cytometry, and RNA interference technology were employed. For in vivo studies, immunohistochemistry, biomedical analysis, and Western blotting were used to assess the efficacy and safety of morin in a xenograft mouse model of GC. RESULTS: Morin significantly inhibited the proliferation of GC cells MKN45 and AGS in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but did not inhibit human gastric epithelial cells GES-1. Only the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK was able to significantly reverse the inhibition of proliferation by morin in both GC cells, suggesting that apoptosis was the main type of cell death during the treatment. Morin induced intrinsic apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in GC cells, which mainly relied on B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) associated agonist of cell death (BAD) but not phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-induced protein 1. The upregulation of BAD by morin was due to blocking the ubiquitination degradation of BAD, rather than the transcription regulation and the phosphorylation of BAD. Furthermore, the combination of morin and BCL-2 inhibitor navitoclax (also known as ABT-737) produced a synergistic inhibitory effect in GC cells through amplifying apoptotic signals. In addition, morin treatment significantly suppressed the growth of GC in vivo by upregulating BAD and the subsequent activation of its downstream apoptosis pathway. CONCLUSION Morin suppressed GC by inducing apoptosis, which was mainly due to blocking the ubiquitination-based degradation of the pro-apoptotic protein BAD. The combination of morin and the BCL-2 inhibitor ABT-737 synergistically amplified apoptotic signals in GC cells, which may overcome the drug resistance of the BCL-2 inhibitor. These findings indicated that morin was a potent and promising agent for GC treatment. Please cite this article as: Wang Y, Sun XY, Ma FQ, Ren MM, Zhao RH, Qin MM, Zhu XH, Xu Y, Cao ND, Chen YY, Dong TG, Pan YF, Zhao AG. Morin inhibits ubiquitination degradation of BCL-2 associated agonist of cell death and synergizes with BCL-2 inhibitor in gastric cancer cells. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 320-332.
Humans ; Flavonoids/therapeutic use* ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Animals ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Ubiquitination/drug effects* ; Mice ; Drug Synergism ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Flavones