ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Jiangtang No. 3 prescription on inflammatory pathways and insulin resistance-related indicators in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM）， and to elucidate its molecular mechanism in combating diabetes. MethodsA T2DM rat model was established using a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ）. Successfully modeled rats were randomly assigned to the model group， metformin group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose Jiangtang No. 3 prescription groups， and a normal group was also set. Daily gavage was administered for 8 weeks as follows： metformin at 0.1 g·kg^-1·d^-1， Jiangtang No. 3 prescription granules at 1.62， 3.24， 6.48 g·kg^-1·d^-1 for the respective dose groups， and sterile water for the normal and model groups. Rat body weight， fasting blood glucose （FBG）， oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT）， and insulin tolerance test （ITT） were measured. After drug intervention， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL）， non-esterified fatty acids （NEFA）， interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-18， and insulin （INS）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe morphological changes in adipose tissue. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， Caspase-1， IL-1β， IL-18， and gasdermin D （GSDMD） in adipose tissue. Western blot was used to measure the corresponding protein expression levels. ResultsCompared with the model group， Jiangtang No. 3 prescription groups exhibited significantly increased body weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）， significantly reduced FBG （P<0.05， P<0.01）， significant reductions in TC， TG， NEFA， and LDL （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and a significant increase in HDL （P<0.01）. Serum levels of inflammatory mediators IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） index was significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and adipose tissue pathology was improved. The protein expression levels of TLR4， NF-κB， NLRP3， Caspase-1， IL-1β， IL-18， and GSDMD were markedly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the mRNA expression levels of these indicators were also significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Some effects were superior to those of the positive control drug metformin， and certain indicators exhibited dose-dependent improvements. ConclusionT2DM rats display significant inflammatory responses， disordered glucose and lipid metabolism， and insulin resistance. Jiangtang No. 3 prescription effectively suppresses inflammatory mediators， improves glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin resistance， and ameliorates pathological changes in adipose tissue. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway in visceral adipose tissue， thereby influencing downstream inflammatory mediators.

Lung cancer constitutes the most prevalent and lethal malignant tumor in China. Approximately 85% of lung cancer diagnoses correspond to the non-small cell histological subtype [non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)]. Despite surgery being the mainstay for early-stage disease, postoperative recurrence remains high and adjuvant chemotherapy offers limited benefit. In recent years, targeted therapy has demonstrated substantial advantages in driver mutation-positive NSCLC. To this end, the Lung Cancer Medical Education Committee of the Chinese Medical Education Association developed guidelines based on a systematic review of evidence through November 2025, using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach and a modified Delphi method. Focusing on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), and addressing ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1), B-Raf proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase (BRAF) V600E mutation, and mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) exon 14 (METex14) skipping, the guideline covers molecular testing, neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy, perioperative strategies, minimal residual disease monitoring, and postoperative surveillance. It defines testing requirements, specifies stage-directed and subtype-specific treatments, and standardizes minimal residual disease monitoring. These recommendations emphasize precision and feasibility to improve survival and quality of life.

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

Neuropathic pain, a debilitating condition caused by dysfunction of the somatosensory nervous system, remains difficult to treat due to limited understanding of its molecular mechanisms. Bioinformatics analysis identified cerebellin 2 (CBLN2) as highly enriched in human and murine proprioceptive and nociceptive neurons. We found that CBLN2 expression is persistently upregulated in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) following spinal nerve ligation (SNL) in mice. In addition, transcription factor SOX11 binds to 12 cis-regulatory elements within the Cbln2 promoter to enhance its transcription. SNL also induced SOX11 upregulation, with SOX11 and CBLN2 co-localized in nociceptive neurons. The siRNA-mediated knockdown of Sox11 or Cbln2 attenuated SNL-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. High-throughput sequencing of DRG following intrathecal injection of CBLN2 revealed widespread gene expression changes, including upregulation of numerous NF-κB downstream targets. Consistently, CBLN2 activated NF-κB signaling, and inhibition with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate reduced CBLN2-induced pain hypersensitivity, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines production, and neuronal hyperexcitability. Together, these findings identified the SOX11/CBLN2/NF-κB axis as a critical mediator of neuropathic pain and a promising target for therapeutic intervention.
Animals ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Ganglia, Spinal/metabolism* ; Up-Regulation ; Mice ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; SOXC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Male ; Neuroinflammatory Diseases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics* ; Hyperalgesia/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Spinal Nerves

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

OBJECTIVE: Data on homocysteine (Hcy) status and its determinants are limited among women during pregnancy and postpartum. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate Hcy levels during pregnancy and postpartum, and to explore the determinants like geographic factor. METHODS: This study was conducted in women at mid-pregnancy, late-pregnancy and postpartum from southern, central and northern China. Approximately 132 women were included in each stratum by the three phases and regions. Plasma Hcy concentrations were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with hyperhomocysteinemia defined as > 10.0 µmol/L. Quantile regression was to estimate medians and interquartile ranges ( IQRs), and logistic regression to examine the determinants of hyperhomocysteinemia. RESULTS: For 1,190 women included, the median (IQR) Hcy concentration was 5.66 (4.62, 7.37) μmol/L. The adjusted median in mid-pregnancy, late-pregnancy and postpartum women was 4.75 (4.13, 5.54), 5.72 (4.81, 6.85) and 7.09 (5.65, 8.75) μmol/L, respectively, showing an increasing trend ( P < 0.001). This increasing trend persisted across the three regions. Higher Hcy concentrations were observed in women residing in northern region and those with younger age or lower economic status. A total of 106 (8.9%) women had hyperhomocysteinemia, with a higher prevalence in those residing in northern region (16.0%), or in postpartum women (16.5%). CONCLUSION Hcy levels, varying with geographic region, maternal age and economic status, are increased from mid-pregnancy to late-pregnancy and postpartum, indicating a need to monitor Hcy levels in pregnant and postpartum women to control potential risks related to elevated Hcy levels.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Homocysteine/blood* ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Postpartum Period/blood* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Hyperhomocysteinemia/blood* ; Young Adult ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third/blood* ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:To investigate and summarize the imaging and pathological features of non-acute occlusion following flow diverter (FD) implantation in animal models.Methods:Four experimental pigs (experimental group) that experienced non-acute occlusion (occlusion time exceeding 24 hours) within the FD stent implanted in the common carotid artery, and 19 pigs (control group) that did not experience stent occlusion during the same period were involved. Using an interventional approach under digital subtraction angiography (DSA), the 4 occluded FD lumens were mechanically opened. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and histopathological examinations were performed to evaluate the intraluminal composition and characteristics of the occlusive tissues. These findings were compared with non-occluded FD stents to summarize the imaging and pathological changes within the occluded FD lumen.Results:The occlusion times of the FD stents in the 4 experimental pigs were 16 weeks, 20 weeks, 20 weeks, and 24 weeks postoperatively. All occluded stents were successfully recanalized under DSA, with a technical success rate of 4/4. Among the 19 non-occluded FD stents, OCT and IVUS revealed uniform (16 stents) or non-uniform (3 stents) neointimal coverage of the stent struts, presenting as homogeneous high/slightly high signal intensity or medium echogenicity. Histopathological examination indicated that the neointima was primarily composed of smooth muscle cells and a small amount of fibrous connective tissues. In contrast, the 4 occluded FD stents demonstrated excessive neointimal proliferation and plaque formation, leading to luminal loss, as shown by OCT and IVUS. The occlusion tissues predominantly presented as homogeneous high signal intensity with weak attenuation (fibrous plaques) on OCT, with some regions showing blurred low signal intensity and strong attenuation (lipid plaques). IVUS presented homogeneous echogenicity (fibrous plaques) and hypoechogenic zones (lipid plaques). Histopathological examination showed that the occlusion tissues mainly consisted of smooth muscle cells, fibrous connective tissues, and lipids, accompanied by numerous foam cells and a minor presence of inflammatory cells.Conclusions:Histopathological examinations confirm that non-acute occlusion of FD is mainly caused by excessive hyperplasia of intima along with the formation of fibrous plaques and lipid plaques. OCT and IVUS have typical finding in imaging that can assist in determining the cause of stent occlusion as well as the lesion's nature, thereby providing crucial guidance for subsequent clinical treatment and drug selection.