1.Animal Model of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Intervention Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Jiyu ZOU ; Lijian PANG ; Tianjiao WANG ; Ningzi ZANG ; Zhongxue ZHAO ; Yongming LIU ; Qi SI ; Tianya CAO ; Xuenan MA ; Ying WANG ; Jiaran WANG ; Xiaodong LYU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):294-303
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as one of the three major causes of death, is a complex systemic disease with high prevalence, high mortality, high disability, frequent acute exacerbations, and a variety of pulmonary complications. The pathogenesis is complex. Western medicine has no effective specificity scheme for a complete cure. However, multiple-component and multiple-target characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) demonstrate significant advantages in COPD treatment through multi-link, multi-pathway, and multi-mechanism intervention. Therefore, exploring the essence of COPD pathogenesis and discovering effective TCM treatment drugs through the application of TCM principles and prescriptions is a key focus of modern research. Animal models are of paramount importance in medical research. It is the first consideration to select appropriate animals, adopt reasonable modeling methods to replicate stable animal models that closely resemble the clinical manifestations and pathophysiological characteristics of COPD, and use appropriate evaluation methods to determine the success of COPD animal models in experimental research. The core of experimental research lies in observing the intervention effect of TCM on COPD animal models, exploring the specific pathways and regulatory mechanisms of TCM on COPD disease, and finding TCM monomers, single herbs, and TCM formulas with definite curative effects. At present, animal model research on COPD mainly involves model establishment, model evaluation, efficacy observation, mechanism exploration, and other aspects. In recent years, there has been no systematic organization, update, and reflection on the relevant research on TCM intervention in COPD animal models. This study reviewed the selection of animals for the COPD model, methods for establishing COPD animal models, model evaluation methods, and the intervention effects of TCM on COPD animal models. It aims to grasp the current research status and identify existing problems for further improvement, in order to provide evidence and support for scientific research and clinical treatment of COPD.
2.Animal Model of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Intervention Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Jiyu ZOU ; Lijian PANG ; Tianjiao WANG ; Ningzi ZANG ; Zhongxue ZHAO ; Yongming LIU ; Qi SI ; Tianya CAO ; Xuenan MA ; Ying WANG ; Jiaran WANG ; Xiaodong LYU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):294-303
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as one of the three major causes of death, is a complex systemic disease with high prevalence, high mortality, high disability, frequent acute exacerbations, and a variety of pulmonary complications. The pathogenesis is complex. Western medicine has no effective specificity scheme for a complete cure. However, multiple-component and multiple-target characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) demonstrate significant advantages in COPD treatment through multi-link, multi-pathway, and multi-mechanism intervention. Therefore, exploring the essence of COPD pathogenesis and discovering effective TCM treatment drugs through the application of TCM principles and prescriptions is a key focus of modern research. Animal models are of paramount importance in medical research. It is the first consideration to select appropriate animals, adopt reasonable modeling methods to replicate stable animal models that closely resemble the clinical manifestations and pathophysiological characteristics of COPD, and use appropriate evaluation methods to determine the success of COPD animal models in experimental research. The core of experimental research lies in observing the intervention effect of TCM on COPD animal models, exploring the specific pathways and regulatory mechanisms of TCM on COPD disease, and finding TCM monomers, single herbs, and TCM formulas with definite curative effects. At present, animal model research on COPD mainly involves model establishment, model evaluation, efficacy observation, mechanism exploration, and other aspects. In recent years, there has been no systematic organization, update, and reflection on the relevant research on TCM intervention in COPD animal models. This study reviewed the selection of animals for the COPD model, methods for establishing COPD animal models, model evaluation methods, and the intervention effects of TCM on COPD animal models. It aims to grasp the current research status and identify existing problems for further improvement, in order to provide evidence and support for scientific research and clinical treatment of COPD.
3.Neuroprotective effect and mechanism of eleutheroside B on Parkinson’s disease model mice by regulating the IKKβ/NF-κB signaling pathway
Xiaoli WANG ; Hua RONG ; Siwen PAN ; Chunlei YU ; Tianjiao XU ; Yu SUN ; Huan CONG ; Yu PANG ; Gang CHEN ; Xiaoming LI
China Pharmacy 2026;37(8):998-1002
OBJECTIVE To investigate the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of eleutheroside B (ELB) on Parkinson’s disease (PD) model mice by regulating the IκB kinase β (IKKβ)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. METHODS Fifty mice were randomly divided into normal control group, model group, positive control group (selegiline hydrochloride, 10 mg/kg), and ELB low-dose and high-dose groups (80, 160 mg/kg), with 10 mice in each group. Each group was given relevant medicine or normal saline intragastrically for 14 consecutive days. Starting from the 10th day of administration, the model group and all administration groups were intraperitoneally injected with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) 30 mg/kg, for five consecutive days to establish the chronic PD model. After the last administration for 24 h, six mice were randomly selected from each group to test their behavioral abilities; detect the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in brain tissue and their mRNA expressions were measured, and positive expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), protein expressions of TH, α -synuclein ( α -syn), ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1), as well as phosphorylation levels of IKKβ and NF-κB p65 proteins in the brain tissue were detected. The ultrastructure of neurons in substantia nigra was observed. RESULTS Compared with the model group, rotarod endurance time and climbing score of each administration group (except for the ELB low-dose group) were increased significantly ( P <0.05), while the levels and mRNA expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, α -syn, and Iba-1, as well as phosphorylation levels of IKKβ and NF-κB p65 proteins in brain tissue were decreased significantly (except for TNF-α in the ELB low-dose group). Conversely, the level and mRNA expression of IL-10 (except for the ELB low-dose group), TH positive expression and protein expressions were significantly increased ( P <0.05). Typical neurodegenerative pathological changes, such as neuronal karyopyknosis, mitochondrial swelling and vacuolization, and endoplasmic reticulum dilation, all showed varying degrees of improvement. CONCLUSIONS ELB may exert neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the activation of the IKKβ/NF-κB signaling pathway, alleviating inflammatory responses, reducing abnormal α -syn aggregation and neuronal loss, and further improving motor dysfunction in PD mice.
4.Progress on effects of heat stress on male reproductive function and its therapy
Tianjiao LI ; Meimei WANG ; Jun WANG ; Tao LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(4):527-534
Spermatogenesis, the basis of male reproduction, is susceptible to internal and external environmental interferences that impair fertility. Heat-induced reproductive damage is one of the most important factors contributing to male infertility. The testes are located within the scrotum and need to be maintained 2-4 ℃ below the core body temperature, which is essential for normal spermatogenesis and sperm maturation. In the past 40 years, the global male sperm concentrations have consistently declined at an average annual rate of 1%-2%, accompanied by a sharp increase in the prevalence of sperm quality abnormalities such as oligozoospermia and azoospermia. In daily life, a variety of factors can elevate scrotal temperature, such as occupational exposure, lifestyle habits, and pathological conditions, resulting in varying degrees of reproductive injury. In this article, the effects of heat stress on male reproductive injury, the injury patterns associated with different hyperthermic modalities, as well as preventive and therapeutic treatments were described, aiming at a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the mechanism underlying heat-induced reproductive injury, as well as providing theoretical guidance for the clinic prevention and therapy of male infertility.
5.Spousal correlations of blood lipid based on a family design
Yixin LI ; Huangda GUO ; Hexiang PENG ; Tianjiao HOU ; Hanyu ZHANG ; Yinxi TAN ; Yi ZHENG ; Mengying WANG ; Yiqun WU ; Xueying QIN ; Jin LI ; Ying YE ; Tao WU ; Dafang CHEN ; Yonghua HU ; Liming LI
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2025;57(3):423-429
Objective:To explore the spousal correlations of total cholesterol(TC),total triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),and to investigate the reasons behind these spousal correlations.Methods:Participants and data were from the baseline survey of family-based cohort studies in Fangshan,Beijing and Tulou,Fujian.The ori-gin of spousal correlations were explored from perspectives of convergence,assortative mating,social ho-mogamy.Pearson's correlation and generalized linear models(GLM)were used to estimate the spousal correlation.Convergence was assessed by Pearson's correlation between the phenotypic differences be-tween couples and the duration of marriage,with GLM used for further validation.Pearson's correlation of genetic risk scores(GRS)and couple-specific Mendelian randomization(MR)were calculated to assess the genetic correlation and possible causal relationships between spouses.Two-independent-sample t-tests were used to compare GRS consistency across subgroups divided by education attainment,couple-specific MR and Q statistics used to test assortative mating in subgroups and intergroup differences.Results:In the study,342 couples(287 couples from Fangshan and 55 couples from Fujian)were included,with the average age of(64.91±8.76)years.Spousal correlations of TC,TG,HDL-C,and LDL-C showed statistically significant associations both before and after adjusting for covariates,with effect sizes of 0.229(95%CI:0.125-0.327),0.257(95%CI:0.155-0.354),0.179(95%CI:0.074-0.280),and 0.181(95%CI:0.076-0.282).For convergence,for each additional year of marriage,ΔTC increased by 0.016 mmol/L(95%CI:0.001-0.033 mmol/L),and ΔLDL-C increased by 0.017 mmol/L(95%CI:0.002-0.031 mmol/L).For assortative mating,GRS correlations and results of couple specific MR didn't show any statistical significance.For social homogamy,no differences in GRS or assortative mating were found between subgroups stratified by education attainment.Conclusion:The blood lipid in participants exhibit spousal phenotypic correlations,however,no effects of convergence,assortative mating or social homogamy were observed.More independent studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to further validate these findings in the future.
6.Comorbidity Network of Heart Failure and Vascular Dementia:Integrating Single-Cell Multi-Omics with FOXC1-based Drug Discovery
Tianjiao XIA ; Tianqi ZHANG ; Bijie WANG
Acta Medicinae Universitatis Scientiae et Technologiae Huazhong 2025;54(4):498-506
Objective To investigate shared mechanisms and therapeutic targets between heart failure(HF)and vascular de-mentia(VaD),and identify natural compounds for dual-organ protection.Methods Single-cell data(8 samples)from GEO were processed via Seurat for clustering.Through CellChat,inter-organ communication was constructed,and top 95%ligand-receptor pairs were analyzed by KEGG enrichment.Bulk RNA-seq(70 samples)underwent differential gene(limma)and immune infiltra-tion(CIBERSORT)analyses.31186 compounds from TCMbank werescreened by AutoDock Vina,followed by molecular dynam-ics validation.Results HF fibroblasts(43.75%,7 subclusters)and VaD oligodendrocytes(76.57%,6 subclusters)dominated re-spective tissues.Cross-disease integration revealed HF-driven fibrosis(COLLAGEN)and VaD-associated neuroinflammation(SPP1),converging on PI3K-Akt and ECM pathways.HF-specific markers(TNXB/THBS4/COL1 A2)and VaD signatures(SPP1/PDGFC/TGFA)were identified,with FOXC1 identified as a shared transcriptional regulator.B cell activation character-ized immune dysregulation.Among 8 FOXC1 inhibitors,Qingdainone showed optimal binding[affinity:-9.0 kcal/mol;RMSD:(0.2±0.06)nm].Conclusion This study uncovers fibrosis-neuroinflammation crosstalk in HF-VaD comorbidity and proposes Qingdainone as a FOXC1-targeting therapeutic candidate.
7.Comorbidity Network of Heart Failure and Vascular Dementia:Integrating Single-Cell Multi-Omics with FOXC1-based Drug Discovery
Tianjiao XIA ; Tianqi ZHANG ; Bijie WANG
Acta Medicinae Universitatis Scientiae et Technologiae Huazhong 2025;54(4):498-506
Objective To investigate shared mechanisms and therapeutic targets between heart failure(HF)and vascular de-mentia(VaD),and identify natural compounds for dual-organ protection.Methods Single-cell data(8 samples)from GEO were processed via Seurat for clustering.Through CellChat,inter-organ communication was constructed,and top 95%ligand-receptor pairs were analyzed by KEGG enrichment.Bulk RNA-seq(70 samples)underwent differential gene(limma)and immune infiltra-tion(CIBERSORT)analyses.31186 compounds from TCMbank werescreened by AutoDock Vina,followed by molecular dynam-ics validation.Results HF fibroblasts(43.75%,7 subclusters)and VaD oligodendrocytes(76.57%,6 subclusters)dominated re-spective tissues.Cross-disease integration revealed HF-driven fibrosis(COLLAGEN)and VaD-associated neuroinflammation(SPP1),converging on PI3K-Akt and ECM pathways.HF-specific markers(TNXB/THBS4/COL1 A2)and VaD signatures(SPP1/PDGFC/TGFA)were identified,with FOXC1 identified as a shared transcriptional regulator.B cell activation character-ized immune dysregulation.Among 8 FOXC1 inhibitors,Qingdainone showed optimal binding[affinity:-9.0 kcal/mol;RMSD:(0.2±0.06)nm].Conclusion This study uncovers fibrosis-neuroinflammation crosstalk in HF-VaD comorbidity and proposes Qingdainone as a FOXC1-targeting therapeutic candidate.
8.Study on the Correlation between the Expression of Serum HLA-B27 and SAA Levels in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis and the Severity of the Disease and the Infection of Other Pulmonary Pathogens
Jing LIU ; Yu WANG ; Yanfen TANG ; Li CHEN ; Tianjiao XUE ; Yanyan LIU ; Jianbin LI
Journal of Modern Laboratory Medicine 2025;40(1):132-137
Objective To explore the correlation between the expression of serum human leukocyte antigen B27(HLA-B27) and serum amyloid A(SAA) in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and the severity of the disease and the infection of other pulmonary pathogens. Methods From September 2021 to September 2023,120 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary infection in Beijing Ditan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University were selected as the research group,and another 120 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were selected as the control group. According to the pneumonia severity index (PSI),the study group patients were divided into low-risk group (n=47),medium risk group (n=42) and high-risk group (n=31). Collected patient sputum for pathogen detection. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to measure the expression levels of HLA-B27 and SAA in serum. Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the factors that affected the severity of pulmonary tuberculosis combined with pulmonary infection in patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of serum HLA-B27 and SAA for the severity of pulmonary tuberculosis combined with pulmonary infection in patients. Results Compared with the control group,the positive rate of serum HLA-B27(72.50% vs 19.17%)in the study group,expression level of SAA (9.32±2.32 ng/ml vs 4.64±1.04 ng/ml)were significantly increased,and the differences were statistically significant(x2=68.744,t=20.164,all P<0.05). A total of 84 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated by the research group,including 46 Gram negative bacteria,34 Gram positive bacteria,and 4 fungi,with Klebsiella pneumoniae accounting for the highest proportion (15.48%). Compared with the low-risk group,the positive rate of HLA-B27(76.19%,93.55% vs 55.32%),the expression level of SAA(9.35±2.35ng/ml,10.94±2.42ng/ml vs 8.23±2.23ng/ml)and the PSI score(108.63±12.47score,145.93±12.44 score vs 54.48±17.31 score) in the middle-risk group and the severe-risk group were significantly higher,and the differences were statistically significant (x2=4.256,13.130,t=2.306,5.077;15.021,25.384,all P<0.05). Serum HLA-B27 and SAA levels in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with pulmonary infection were positively correlated with PSI score (r=0.385,0.522,all P<0.05). The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that HLA-B27 positivity and SAA were risk factors affecting the severity of pulmonary tuberculosis combined with pulmonary infection in patients (P<0.05). The combined diagnosis of serum HLA-B27 and SAA had the highest area under the curve (AUC) for the severity of pulmonary infection in patients,which was superior to the individual diagnosis of serum HLA-B27 and elevated SAA expression levels (Z=3.132,2.131,P=0.002,0.033). Conclusion The pathogenic bacteria in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and pulmonary infection are mainly Gram negative bacteria. The increases in serum HLA-B27 positive rate and SAA expression level are closely related to the disease progression in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and pulmonary infection. The combination of the two can better diagnose the severity of the disease in patients with pulmonary infection.
9.Research progress in animal models of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and interventional effect of traditional Chinese medicine
Zhen ZHANG ; Jiyu ZOU ; Ningzi ZANG ; Tianjiao WANG ; Lijian PANG ; Xiaodong LYU
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2025;33(5):704-720
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF)is a chronic progressive disease with a short survival time after diagnosis.Current treatments using western medicines have shown poor efficacy and lung transplantation is costly,highlighting the need to find new,safe,and effective treatments.Animal experiments are important for investigating the mechanisms of drug action,and suitable animal models of IPF are required for experimental research.Bleomycin is commonly used to induce IPF models.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has the advantages of multiple therapeutic targets and few adverse reactions,and is gradually gaining attention for the treatment of IPF.Ongoing experimental research is being carried out to verify the specific targets and mechanisms of TCM in the treatment of IPF,utilizing animal models of IPF.This review considers the selection of animal models of IPF,the method used to induce,establish,and evaluate the models,and the interventional effects of TCM.We also summarize the best modeling method for animal models of IPF and the current status of TCM treatments to provide a basis for further scientific research and the clinical treatment of IPF.
10.Molecular Mechanism of Jiedu Tongluo Tiaogan Formula to Improve T2DM-IR Through PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway Explored Based on TCM Integrated Network Pharmacology and in Vitro Experiments
Cui WU ; Qi ZHANG ; Pei LI ; Li WANG ; Tianjiao LIU ; Yuandong LI ; Chunli PIAO
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(4):1150-1164
Objective Jiedu Tongluo Tiaogan Formula(JTTF)is an effective formula for the clinical treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).We used integrated pharmacology and in vitro experiments to explore the molecular mechanism of JTTF to improve insulin resistance(IR)in T2DM.Methods The drug targets of JTTF were obtained by identifying the key active ingredients of JTTF through UPLC-Q-TOF-MS.Multiple databases such as GeneCards,OMIM,and DrugBank were used to screen T2DM-IR related targets.Cytoscape software and String 11.0 database were used to construct the PPI network diagram of JTTF for T2DM-IR.GO and KEGG analyses were performed according to the Metascape platform to find the biological pathways related to the target proteins.AutoDock Tools software was used to simulate molecular docking.In vitro experiments were performed using palmitic acid(PA)-induced HepG2-IR cell model to detect the effect of JTTF on HepG2-IR.Results 28 effective active components of JTTF were screened.There were 857 gene targets of T2DM-IR,and 168 targets of drug-disease intersection.387 GO entries and 145 KEGG pathways were enriched.The molecular docking results showed that the main components of JTTF had good binding activities with PI3K and AKT-related proteins.The in vitro results showed that JTTF significantly alleviated PA-induced HepG2 cell injury,increased HepG2 glucose consumption,increased PI3K and AKT mRNA and protein expression,regulated the expression of GLUT2,GLUT4 and GSK3β,and improved cellular IR.Conclusion JTTF increases insulin sensitivity of HepG2-IR cells,promotes glucose uptake and intracellular glucose metabolism process,and its mechanism of action may be related to the up-regulation of PI3K/AKT signalling pathway.

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