1.Mechanism of Diaphragmatic Dysfunction in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Yuanyuan YING ; Xiaoqing ZHOU ; Kaiwen NI ; Zhen WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):285-296
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) is a common chronic respiratory disorder frequently accompanied by diaphragmatic dysfunction during its course, which significantly increases respiratory burden and impairs quality of life. As the primary inspiratory muscle, the diaphragm is prone to fatigue, atrophy, inflammation, and fibrosis during the long-term progression of COPD. Its pathological mechanisms involve multiple pathways such as inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, ion channel abnormalities, epigenetic regulation, autophagy disorder, and protein metabolism imbalance. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has demonstrated multi-targeted and systemic regulatory advantages in improving diaphragmatic function in COPD. However, related studies remain fragmented, and integrated mechanistic understanding is lacking. This paper focuses on the mechanism-target-TCM intervention framework, systematically summarizing the molecular mechanisms of diaphragmatic dysfunction, while incorporating the TCM theory of Zongqi(ancestral Qi). It highlights the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal formulas, single herbs, and active components in modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, ion channels, epigenetic processes, autophagy, and protein homeostasis. Additionally, the review outlines existing challenges, including insufficient study volume, unbalanced selection of herbal prescriptions, limited mechanistic depth, inconsistent disease models and experimental designs, lack of standardized diaphragmatic function assessment, and weak clinical validation. Future research should strengthen the integration of TCM and modern medicine, identify additional therapeutic targets, deepen mechanistic research, and establish unified and standardized experimental systems to advance the theoretical foundation and clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of COPD-related diaphragmatic dysfunction.
2.Mechanism of Diaphragmatic Dysfunction in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Yuanyuan YING ; Xiaoqing ZHOU ; Kaiwen NI ; Zhen WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):285-296
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) is a common chronic respiratory disorder frequently accompanied by diaphragmatic dysfunction during its course, which significantly increases respiratory burden and impairs quality of life. As the primary inspiratory muscle, the diaphragm is prone to fatigue, atrophy, inflammation, and fibrosis during the long-term progression of COPD. Its pathological mechanisms involve multiple pathways such as inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, ion channel abnormalities, epigenetic regulation, autophagy disorder, and protein metabolism imbalance. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has demonstrated multi-targeted and systemic regulatory advantages in improving diaphragmatic function in COPD. However, related studies remain fragmented, and integrated mechanistic understanding is lacking. This paper focuses on the mechanism-target-TCM intervention framework, systematically summarizing the molecular mechanisms of diaphragmatic dysfunction, while incorporating the TCM theory of Zongqi(ancestral Qi). It highlights the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal formulas, single herbs, and active components in modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, ion channels, epigenetic processes, autophagy, and protein homeostasis. Additionally, the review outlines existing challenges, including insufficient study volume, unbalanced selection of herbal prescriptions, limited mechanistic depth, inconsistent disease models and experimental designs, lack of standardized diaphragmatic function assessment, and weak clinical validation. Future research should strengthen the integration of TCM and modern medicine, identify additional therapeutic targets, deepen mechanistic research, and establish unified and standardized experimental systems to advance the theoretical foundation and clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of COPD-related diaphragmatic dysfunction.
3.Epidemiological characteristics of category C intestinal infectious diseases among children and adolescents in Shenzhen from 2012 to 2024 and the association with meteorological factors
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(4):553-557
Objective:
To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of category C intestinal infectious diseases among children and adolescents in Shenzhen from 2012 to 2024 and the association with meteorological factors, so as to provide a scientific basis for the targeted prevention and control of infectious diseases for children and adolescents.
Methods:
Using data from the "Infectious Disease Reporting Information Management System" of the "China Disease Prevention and Control Information System" covering the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2024, the study analyzed clinical and confirmed cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease, other infectious diarrhea, and acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis among individuals aged 6-19 years old to describe demographic and temporal characteristics. It used Joinpoint regression to calculate the average annual percent change (AAPC) and annual percent change (APC) to analyze incidence trends, and Spearman s correlation was combined to generalize linear models so as to assess the association between category C intestinal infectious diseases and meteorological factors.
Results:
From 2012 to 2024, a cumulative total of 61 019 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease among children and adolescents, 58 498 cases of other infectious diarrhea, and 6 377 cases of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis were reported. The AAPC in the incidence rates of these three diseases was 19.19%, 31.03% and 31.48 %, respectively(all P <0.05). Notably, the incidence of hand, foot, and mouth disease increased significantly after 2022 (APC= 133.66 %, P <0.01). The temporal distribution showed that hand,foot,and mouth disease was most prevalent in May,June and July (seasonal index of 2.39,3.64,1.97), other infectious diarrhea was most prevalent in February,March and December (seasonal index of 1.22,1.25,1.47), and acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis peaked in September and October (seasonal index of 4.22,2.16). Monthly average temperature could increase the risk of hand,foot,and mouth disease( β = 0.18 ,95% CI =0.11-0.25); as monthly average wind speed increased, the incidence of other infectious diarrhea ( β =-0.86, 95% CI = -1.50 to -0.22) and acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis ( β =-1.32, 95% CI =-2.60 to -0.05) both decreased (all P < 0.05 ).
Conclusions
Among children and adolescents in Shenzhen, category C intestinal infectious diseases remain prevalent throughout the year;the number of reported hand, foot, and mouth disease cases has shown an upward trend in recent years.Temperature and wind speed significantly affect the number of reported cases of three types with category C intestinal infectious diseases.
4.Hippocampal Extracellular Matrix Protein Laminin β1 Regulates Neuropathic Pain and Pain-Related Cognitive Impairment.
Ying-Chun LI ; Pei-Yang LIU ; Hai-Tao LI ; Shuai WANG ; Yun-Xin SHI ; Zhen-Zhen LI ; Wen-Guang CHU ; Xia LI ; Wan-Neng LIU ; Xing-Xing ZHENG ; Fei WANG ; Wen-Juan HAN ; Jie ZHANG ; Sheng-Xi WU ; Rou-Gang XIE ; Ceng LUO
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(12):2127-2147
Patients suffering from nerve injury often experience exacerbated pain responses and complain of memory deficits. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), a well-defined region responsible for learning and memory, displays maladaptive plasticity upon injury, which is assumed to underlie pain hypersensitivity and cognitive deficits. However, much attention has thus far been paid to intracellular mechanisms of plasticity rather than extracellular alterations that might trigger and facilitate intracellular changes. Emerging evidence has shown that nerve injury alters the microarchitecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and decreases ECM rigidity in the dHPC. Despite this, it remains elusive which element of the ECM in the dHPC is affected and how it contributes to neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits. Laminin, a key element of the ECM, consists of α-, β-, and γ-chains and has been implicated in several pathophysiological processes. Here, we showed that peripheral nerve injury downregulates laminin β1 (LAMB1) in the dHPC. Silencing of hippocampal LAMB1 exacerbates pain sensitivity and induces cognitive dysfunction. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that loss of hippocampal LAMB1 causes dysregulated Src/NR2A signaling cascades via interaction with integrin β1, leading to decreased Ca2+ levels in pyramidal neurons, which in turn orchestrates structural and functional plasticity and eventually results in exaggerated pain responses and cognitive deficits. In this study, we shed new light on the functional capability of hippocampal ECM LAMB1 in the modulation of neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits, and reveal a mechanism that conveys extracellular alterations to intracellular plasticity. Moreover, we identified hippocampal LAMB1/integrin β1 signaling as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neuropathic pain and related memory loss.
Animals
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Laminin/genetics*
;
Hippocampus/metabolism*
;
Neuralgia/metabolism*
;
Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology*
;
Male
;
Peripheral Nerve Injuries/metabolism*
;
Extracellular Matrix/metabolism*
;
Integrin beta1/metabolism*
;
Pyramidal Cells/metabolism*
;
Signal Transduction
5.Identifying purgative targets of sennoside A via in situ biotransformation of prodrug-based probes.
Zhen LIU ; Xinyue GENG ; Xinyue LIU ; Mengru LI ; Xiang LI ; Zhixin ZHANG ; Gan LUO ; Ying WANG ; Xiaoyan GAO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(4):101078-101078
•A strategy for in situ metabolically synthesized active drug-based probes was proposed.•The potential purgative targets of SA were successfully hooked and identified.•The work provided a new insight for studying the direct targets of unstable active drugs.
6.Kitchen Ventilation Attenuate the Association of Solid Fuel Use with Sarcopenia: A Cross-Sectional and Prospective Study.
Ying Hao YUCHI ; Wei LIAO ; Jia QIU ; Rui Ying LI ; Ning KANG ; Xiao Tian LIU ; Wen Qian HUO ; Zhen Xing MAO ; Jian HOU ; Lei ZHANG ; Chong Jian WANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(4):511-515
7.Molecular Characterization of New Recombinant Human Adenoviruses Detected in Children with Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Beijing, China, 2022-2023.
Yi Nan GUO ; Ri DE ; Fang Ming WANG ; Zhen Zhi HAN ; Li Ying LIU ; Yu SUN ; Yao YAO ; Xiao Lin MA ; Shuang LIU ; Chunmei ZHU ; Dong QU ; Lin Qing ZHAO
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(9):1071-1081
OBJECTIVE:
Recombination events are common and serve as the primary driving force of diverse human adenovirus (HAdV), particularly in children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs). Therefore, continual monitoring of these events is essential for effective viral surveillance and control.
METHODS:
Respiratory specimens were collected from children with ARIs between January 2022 and December 2023. The penton base, hexon, and fiber genes were amplified from HAdV-positive specimens and sequenced to determine the virus type. In cases with inconsistent typing results, genes were cloned into the pGEM-T vector to detect recombination events. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) was performed to characterize the recombinant HAdV genomes.
RESULTS:
Among 6,771 specimens, 277 (4.09%, 277/6,771) were positvie for HAdV, of which 157 (56.68%, 157/277) were successfully typed, with HAdV-B3 being the dominant type (91.08%, 143/157), and 14 (5.05%, 14/277) exhibited inconsistent typing results, six of which belonged to species B. The penton base genes of these six specimens were classified as HAdV-B7, whereas their hexon and fiber genes were classified as HAdV-B3, resulting in a recombinant genotype designated P7H3F3, which closely resembled HAdV-B114. Additionally, a partial gene encoding L1 52/55 kD was identified, which originated from HAdV-B16.
CONCLUSION
A novel recombinant, P7H3F3, was identified, containing sequences derived from HAdV-B3 and HAdV-B7, which is similar to HAdV-B114, along with additional sequences from HAdV-B16.
Humans
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Adenoviruses, Human/isolation & purification*
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Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology*
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Child, Preschool
;
Child
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Recombination, Genetic
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Male
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Beijing/epidemiology*
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Infant
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Female
;
Phylogeny
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Adenovirus Infections, Human/epidemiology*
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Acute Disease
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Genome, Viral
8.Danggui Shaoyaosan Regulates Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 Signaling Pathway to Inhibit Ferroptosis in Rat Model of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Xinqiao CHU ; Yaning BIAO ; Ying GU ; Meng LI ; Tiantong JIANG ; Yuan DING ; Xiaping TAO ; Shaoli WANG ; Ziheng WEI ; Zhen LIU ; Yixin ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(16):35-42
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Danggui Shaoyaosan on ferroptosis in the rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and explore the underlying mechanism based on the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) signaling pathway. MethodsThe sixty SD rats were randomly grouped as follows: control, model, Yishanfu (0.144 g·kg-1), and low-, medium-, and high-dose (2.44, 4.88, and 9.76 g·kg-1, respectively) Danggui Shaoyaosan. A high-fat diet was used to establish the rat model of NAFLD. After 12 weeks of modeling, rats were treated with corresponding agents for 4 weeks. Then, the body weight and liver weight were measured, and the liver index was calculated. At the same time, serum and liver samples were collected. The levels or activities of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and Fe2+ in the serum and TC, TG, free fatty acids (FFA), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and Fe2+ in the liver were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and oil red O staining were employed to observe the pathological changes in the liver. Immunofluorescence was used to assess the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in the liver. Mitochondrial morphology was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The protein levels of Nrf2, SLC7A11, GPX4, transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1), and divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) in the liver were determined by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group showed increases in the body weight, liver weight, liver index, levels or activities of TC, TG, ALT, AST, and Fe2+ in the serum, levels of TC, TG, FFA, MDA, Fe2+, and ROS in the liver, and protein levels of TFR1 and DMT1 in the liver (P<0.01), and decreases in the activities of SOD, GPX and the protein levels of Nrf2, SLC7A11, and GPX4 in the liver (P<0.05, P<0.01). Meanwhile, the liver tissue in the model group presented steatosis, iron deposition, mitochondrial shrinkage, and blurred or swollen mitochondrial cristae. Compared with the model group, all doses of Danggui Shaoyaosan reduced the body weight, liver weight, liver index, levels or activities of TC, TG, ALT, AST, and Fe2+ in the serum, levels of TC, TG, FFA, MDA, Fe2+, and ROS in the liver, and protein levels of TFR1 and DMT1 in the liver (P<0.01), while increasing the activities of SOD and GPX and the protein levels of Nrf2, SLC7A11, and GPX4 in the liver (P<0.01). Furthermore, Danggui Shaoyaosan alleviated steatosis, iron deposition, and mitochondrial damage in the liver. ConclusionDanggui Shaoyaosan may inhibit lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis by activating the Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway to treat NAFLD.
9.The role of microglia activated by the deletion of immune checkpoint receptor CD200R1 gene in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.
Jia-Li GUO ; Tao-Ying HUANG ; Zhen ZHANG ; Kun NIU ; Xarbat GONGBIKAI ; Xiao-Li GONG ; Xiao-Min WANG ; Ting ZHANG
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(1):13-24
The study aimed to investigate the effect of the CD200R1 gene deletion on microglia activation and nigrostriatal dopamine neuron loss in the Parkinson's disease (PD) process. The CRISPR-Cas9 technology was applied to construct the CD200R1-/- mice. The primary microglia cells of wild-type and CD200R1-/- mice were cultured and treated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Microglia phagocytosis level was assessed by a fluorescent microsphere phagocytosis assay. PD mouse model was prepared by nigral stereotaxic injection of recombinant adeno-associated virus vector carrying human α-synuclein (α-syn). The changes in the motor behavior of the mice with both genotypes were evaluated by cylinder test, open field test, and rotarod test. Immunohistochemical staining was used to assess the loss of dopamine neurons in substantia nigra. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression level of CD68 (a key molecule involved in phagocytosis) in microglia. The results showed that CD200R1 deletion markedly enhanced LPS-induced phagocytosis in vitro by the microglial cells. In the mouse model of PD, CD200R1 deletion exacerbated motor behavior impairment and dopamine neuron loss in substantia nigra. Fluorescence intensity analysis results revealed a significant increase in CD68 expression in microglia located in the substantia nigra of CD200R1-/- mice. The above results suggest that CD200R1 deletion may further activates microglia by promoting microglial phagocytosis, leading to increased loss of the nigrostriatal dopamine neurons in the PD model mice. Therefore, targeting CD200R1 could potentially serve as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of early-stage PD.
Animals
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Microglia/physiology*
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Mice
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Phagocytosis
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Parkinson Disease/genetics*
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Disease Models, Animal
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Receptors, Cell Surface/physiology*
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Dopaminergic Neurons/pathology*
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Antigens, CD/metabolism*
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Gene Deletion
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Substantia Nigra
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Mice, Knockout
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Cells, Cultured
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Male
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alpha-Synuclein
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CD68 Molecule
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Orexin Receptors
10.Construction of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell factory for efficient biosynthesis of ferruginol.
Mei-Ling JIANG ; Zhen-Jiang TIAN ; Hao TANG ; Xin-Qi SONG ; Jian WANG ; Ying MA ; Ping SU ; Guo-Wei JIA ; Ya-Ting HU ; Lu-Qi HUANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(4):1031-1042
Diterpenoid ferruginol is a key intermediate in biosynthesis of active ingredients such as tanshinone and carnosic acid.However, the traditional process of obtaining ferruginol from plants is often cumbersome and inefficient. In recent years, the increasingly developing gene editing technology has been gradually applied to the heterologous production of natural products, but the production of ferruginol in microbe is still very low, which has become an obstacle to the efficient biosynthesis of downstream chemicals, such as tanshinone. In this study, miltiradiene was produced by integrating the shortened diterpene synthase fusion protein,and the key genes in the MVA pathway were overexpressed to improve the yield of miltiradiene. Under the shake flask fermentation condition, the yield of miltiradiene reached about(113. 12±17. 4)mg·L~(-1). Subsequently, this study integrated the ferruginol synthase Sm CYP76AH1 and Sm CPR1 to reconstruct the ferruginol pathway and thereby realized the heterologous synthesis of ferruginol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The study selected the best ferruginol synthase(Il CYP76AH46) from different plants and optimized the expression of pathway genes through redox partner engineering to increase the yield of ferruginol. By increasing the copy number of diterpene synthase, CYP450, and CPR, the yield of ferruginol reached(370. 39± 21. 65) mg·L~(-1) in the shake flask, which was increased by 21. 57-fold compared with that when the initial ferruginol strain JMLT05 was used. Finally, 1 083. 51 mg·L~(-1) ferruginol was obtained by fed-batch fermentation, which is the highest yield of ferruginol from biosynthesis so far. This study provides not only research ideas for other metabolic engineering but also a platform for the construction of cell factories for downstream products.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics*
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Diterpenes/metabolism*
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Metabolic Engineering
;
Fermentation
;
Abietanes


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