1.Role and pathogenesis of pyroptosis and inflammatory factors in osteoporosis
Jiamu XU ; Cheng YANG ; Weimin LI ; Chunqing WANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(3):691-700
BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that there is a close relationship between pyroptosis,inflammatory factors and osteoporosis.OBJECTIVE:To review the effects of pyroptosis and inflammatory factors on the pathogenesis of osteoporosis from the perspectives of osteogenic differentiation and osteoclastic differentiation,based on an overview of pyroptosis in relation to the interaction of relevant inflammatory factors.METHODS:The first author used the computer to search the literature published by each database until 2024,and searched CNKI,WanFang,VIP and PubMed databases with the search terms of"pyroptosis,inflammatory factors,osteoporosis,osteoblast,osteoclast,bone metabolism,signaling pathway,review"in Chinese and English.A total of 79 papers were finally included according to the inclusion criteria.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The progression of osteoporosis is closely related to inflammation,in which pyroptosis plays a key role.Immune cells induce pyroptosis through apoptosis pathway,promote the secretion of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-18,interleukin-1β and NLRP3,build an inflammatory immune microenvironment,and regulate bone metabolism through complex signaling pathways,resulting in enhanced bone absorption and reduced bone formation,thereby leading to osteoporosis.Previous studies have shown that inhibiting pyroptosis is anti-inflammatory and slows the progression of osteoporosis,and it has been shown to improve inflammatory bone loss in vitro and in animal models.At present,research on pyroptosis and osteoporosis is limited.On the one hand,the exact mechanism of osteoporosis and the pathogenesis of pyroptosis are unknown,and the specific pathways and regulatory mechanisms remain to be understood.On the other hand,therapeutic strategies targeting pyroptosis are still theoretical,not clinically proven,and drug side effects are unknown.In the future,the research focus is to further explore the pathogenesis,especially the mechanism of pyroptosis,identify potential therapeutic targets,further study the pyroptosis signaling pathway and Gasdermin protein,and develop new drugs to improve the therapeutic effect in patients with osteoporosis.
2.Influenza A virus infection activates TLR3-mediated necroptosis
Weijie LI ; Congying HUANG ; Ziling ZENG ; Xiang LI ; Jia XU ; Tian GONG ; Hao ZHANG ; Xinyan ZHANG ; Ping WANG ; Yuanjia HU ; Haiyu XU ; Lijuan SONG
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;4(1):40-49
Background: Influenza A virus (IAV) is a negative-sense RNA virus of the Orthomyxoviridae family and is the etiological agent of a highly contagious acute respiratory disease that can lead to acute lung injury. Objective: To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of IAV infection, an integrative research approach combining gene expression profiling, multinetwork analysis, and in vivo experimental validations was employed. Methods: First, a series of network-based analyses were performed, including protein-protein interaction network construction, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and subsequent gene set enrichment analysis, to identify the major underlying mechanisms of IAV infection. Following gene expression analysis, core targets, both direct and indirect regulators, were screened. An IAV (H1N1) strain A/PR/8/34-induced acute lung injury mouse model was constructed for in vivo validations. Batch one included two groups to evaluate findings from the multi-network analysis: Mock (n = 10; 5 males and 5 females) and IAV (n = 10; 5 males and 5 females). Batch two included three groups to assess the role of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in IAV infection: Mock (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females), IAV (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females), and TLR3 inhibitor (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females). Body weight was measured on days 0, 3, and 5 after infection. On day 5, lung tissues were collected to assess viral load and histopathological changes. Key targets were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining, both in sera and lung tissues. Results: IAV infection was significantly associated with dysregulation of the immune-inflammation system, such as the LTR, nucle-otide-binding oligomerization domain-(NOD) like receptor, retinoic acid-inducible gene I-like receptor, and nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathways. Gene set enrichment analysis further indicated that the TLR and necroptosis signaling pathways played crucial roles in the progression of IAV infection (TLR signaling pathway normalized enrichment score = 2.3941, P = 1.00 × 10 −10; necroptosis normalized enrichment score = 1.9421, P = 6.21 × 10 −7). Among the core targets, TLR3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) may regulate gene expression at the transcriptional level (all P < 0.05). In vivo validation using an IAV (PR8) infected acute lung injury mouse model demonstrated increased viral load and lung index, alveolar structural damage, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Immunofluorescence staining exhibited large gaps in Lamin B1 staining and breaches in Emerin signals following IAV-PR8 infection. Expression levels of TLR3, p-receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3 (RIPK3)/RIPK3, and p-mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL)/MLKL proteins in lung tissues, as well as proinflammatory factors and mediators in sera, were significantly elevated after IAV infection. Moreover, enhanced neutrophil infiltration (myeloperoxidase) and citrullinated histone H3 (a neutrophil extracellular trap-specific marker), both established indicators of neutrophil extracellular trap formation, were observed. Notably, treatment with a TLR3 inhibitor significantly ameliorated IAV-induced acute lung injury by regulating necroptosis-related targets. Conclusion: Our study provides network-based in vivo evidence that TLR3-receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3-MLKL-mediated necroptosis may underlie IAV-induced acute lung injury and could serve as a potential therapeutic target in severe influenza cases.
3.Development of brush ionization probe mass spectrometry for convenient on-site detection of traditional Chinese medicine
Junxian WU ; Chaofa WEI ; Ceyu MIAO ; Jiaquan XU ; Xiang LI ; Li ZHOU ; Shuanglong WANG ; Liping KANG ; Zidong QIU
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;4(1):81-86
Objective: To develop a convenient, direct, and highly sensitive method for screening trace chemical additives in complex Chinese patent medicines, thereby addressing core technological bottlenecks in pharmaceutical analysis and quality control. Methods: A brush ionization probe device was independently designed and constructed, and an efficient detection method was established through systematic optimization of key parameters. Twenty-three Chinese patent medicine samples, representing 6 dosage forms (capsules, tablets, pills, granules, powders, and liquid preparations), were analyzed using 10 common chemical additives as target analytes. Results: All samples were successfully analyzed without complex pretreatment, and 5 chemical additives were detected in 7 Chinese patent medicines. The brush ionization probe device exhibited cost-effectiveness (~0.2 USD per probe), operational simplicity, rapid analysis (~10s per sample), high efficiency, and minimal reagent consumption (~10 μL per sample). Conclusion: This advancement is expected to provide an innovative scientific tool for improving the generality and convenience of on-site quality control, while promoting technological progress in disciplines such as pharmacology and traditional Chinese medicine.
4.Association between socio ecological risk factors, physical activity developmental trajectory and depressive symptoms among junior and senior high school students
SUN Zhiying, LIU Zhonghui, LI Fengqin, WANG Xiaoyang, XU Ke, CUI Yushan, ZHANG Xianwei
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(5):676-679
Objective:
To explore the relationship between socio ecological risk factors (SERF), physical activity (PA) developmental trajectories, and depressive symptoms among junior and senior high school students in Tianjin, in order to provide theoretical support for comprehensive interventions for adolescent depression.
Methods:
A longitudinal follow up design was adopted. In September 2022, a baseline survey was conducted using a stratified cluster random sampling method in two junior high schools and two senior high schools in Tianjin, collecting data on students basic information, SERF, PA, and depressive symptoms. Two follow up surveys were conducted in September 2023 and 2024, yielding 588 valid participants. Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) was used to identify PA developmental trajectory categories among junior and senior high school students. Logistic regression was applied to examine the associations between depressive symptoms and SERF as well as PA trajectories.
Results:
The detection rates of depressive symptoms among Tianjin junior and senior high school students over the three years were 26.53%, 20.24%, and 21.26 %, respectively. Depressive symptoms were positively correlated with SERF ( OR=1.04, 95%CI=1.03-1.05, P <0.05). The highest risks were observed in the individual dimension and family dimension ( OR =1.28, 1.21, both P <0.05). LCGA identified three PA trajectory groups:persistently low level (80.65%), persistently high level (4.58%), and slowly increasing group ( 14.77 %). Multivariate regression analysis showed that compared with the persistently low level PA, the slowly increasing PA significantly reduced the risk of depressive symptoms ( OR=0.44, 95%CI =0.20-0.88), while SERF still increased the risk of depressive symptoms ( OR=1.04, 95%CI =1.03-1.05) (both P <0.05).
Conclusion
SERF are risk factors for depression symptoms among junior and senior high school students, whereas slowly increasing PA development trajectory demonstrates a protective effect.
5.Evaluation of CARIFS Score and Negative Antigen Conversion Rate of Qingxuan Daozhi Formula in Treatment of Influenza in Children (Heat Accumulation in Lung and Stomach Syndrome):A Multi-center Randomized Controlled Clinical Study
Jing WANG ; Liqun WU ; Tiegang LIU ; Yongning CAO ; Jing QIU ; Jing LI ; Huaqing TAN ; Ying ZHANG ; Xulei GOU ; Jia WANG ; Jing LI ; Haipeng CHEN ; Xueying QIN ; Yuanshuo TIAN ; Yang WANG ; Chen BAI ; Zhendong WANG ; Qianqian LI ; He YU ; Xueyan MA ; Fei DONG ; Lin JIANG ; Yingqi XU ; Jianping LIU ; Xiaohong GU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(13):188-196
ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the syndrome improvement and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children (heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome). MethodsThrough a multi-center randomized controlled methodology design,confirmed influenza cases were collected from October 2022 to April 2023 in the pediatrics department of eight hospitals,such as Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A total of 180 children with influenza and heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome conforming to the standard were recruited through the clinic. The sick children meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into groups by a block-randomized method. The children in the experimental group were treated with Qingxuan Daozhi formula for five days,and those in the control group were treated with Oseltamivir Phosphate Granules for five days. The primary efficacy indicator was the negative conversion rate of influenza antigen detection. Secondary efficacy indicators were the Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale (CARIFS) and the incidence of complications,severe cases, and critical cases. Follow-up observation was conducted on the day of enrollment,48 hours after medication,72 hours after medication, and (6+1) d after medication. ResultsOne hundred and eighty participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (90 cases) or the control group (90 cases). All participants were followed up during the study. Comparison of influenza antigen detection results in the primary efficacy indicators showed that the average time of negative influenza antigen conversion in the experimental group was (5.29±1.25) d,and that in the control group was (5.40±1.68) d,without a statistically significant difference. After five days of intervention,52 cases in the experimental group and 51 cases in the control group converted to negative,without a statistically significant difference. CARIFS score results in the secondary efficacy indicators showed that during 72 hours after intervention,there were statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in three dimensions, including headache,muscle soreness, and the need for extra care (P<0.05). On the (6+1) days after the intervention,the differences in both the experimental group and the control group were statistically significant in 10 dimensions, including sore throat,bad sleep,uncomfortable feeling,poor spirit and fatigue,crying more than usual,the need for extra care,symptom,function,influence on parents,and total score (P<0.05). The comparison results within the group in the dimensional scores of symptom, function, and influence on parents,as well as the CARIFS total score showed that with the delay of follow-up time,scores of both groups decreased significantly,with a statistically significant difference (P<0.01). Inter-group comparison results showed that the mean score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at the time of enrollment. With the progress of intervention,the score of the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. At the end of follow-up,the mean score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group,with no statistically significant difference. In terms of the incidence of complications,severe cases, and critical cases, there were no complications,severe cases, and critical cases in the two groups,without a statistically significant difference. ConclusionThe symptom improvement effect and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children (heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome) are not inferior to Oseltamivir Phosphate granules, and children's acceptance is better. It can be more widely used in clinical treatment of influenza in children (heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome).
6.Clinical application of KASP-based RHCE genotyping in RhD-positive patients
Xiaoyu LIAN ; Mengdan LI ; Xiaoyu GUAN ; Li TIAN ; Chenying WANG ; Di WU ; Tianqiong LUO ; Xiaolin DU ; Xin JI ; Haixia XU ; Jue WANG ; Ling LI ; Zhong LIU
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(5):596-602
Objective: To develop a RHCE genotyping assay based on kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) and assess its clinical accuracy for RhCE blood group determination. Methods: KASP primers were designed to interrogate three RHCE loci: the 109 bp insertion/deletion in intron 2, c. 307T>C, and c. 676C>G. A total of 1 194 RhD-positive inpatients from Chengdu were typed by both KASP genotyping and manual tube serology. Discordant samples (n=10) were retested by both methods and further resolved by Sanger sequencing. An additional 377 cases were tested for the c. 48C>G locus to evaluate the predictive accuracy of individual loci and combined locus testing for RhC antigen. Results: Genotyping concordance with serology was 100.0% for both the c. 676C>G locus (RhE/Rhe) and the c. 307T>C locus (Rhc). For RhC prediction using the 109 bp insertion, overall accuracy was 99.7% (1 191/1 194); the 3 discordant cases were confirmed by Sanger sequencing to be false negatives attributable to 109 bp deletion in intron 2. Testing the c. 48C>G allele for RhC prediction yielded 7 false positives, with an accuracy of 98.1% (370/377). RhC antigen status was determined by combining the 109 bp insertion and the c. 48C allele. After excluding 10 samples with inconsistent results between the two loci, the accuracy reached 100% in the remaining 367 samples. When both loci were applied in combination, accuracy reached 100% in the 367 cases with concordant results. Among the 1 194 patients, CCee (45.8%) and CcEe (31.7%) were the most common RhCE phenotypes. The e antigen had the highest positivity rate (92.2%), and the Ce haplotype was the most frequent (66.9%). Conclusion: The KASP-based RHCE genotyping method achieves high accuracy for clinical RhCE typing. Combining the 109 bp insertion/deletion with the c. 48C allele significantly improves RhC antigen prediction compared with either locus alone. This method was applied to RhCE genotyping of 1 194 RhD-positive inpatients in Chengdu, providing local RhCE phenotype and haplotype distribution data to support RhCE-matched transfusion practice.
7.Genotypic diversity and antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus in dairy farming workplaces
Xiangnan WEI ; Yanggui CHEN ; Jia HUANG ; Fulong WANG ; Jiguo JIN ; Fan WU ; Xixiao MA ; Zhaojie WANG ; Xingyu WANG ; Wanting XU ; Jianyong WU ; Fuye LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(5):582-590
Background Under intensive dairy farming conditions, Enterococcus spp. can be transmitted between animals, farm workers, and the environment via multiple vectors such as feces, soil, water, air, and farming equipment, posing a potential threat to public health. Objective To elucidate the prevalence, distribution, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) and Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) among farm workers, dairy cattle, and the farm environment in Xinjiang, and to assess the risk of their cross-host transmission. Methods From May 2024 to January 2025, a total of 317 samples were collected from 11 large-scale dairy farms in Xinjiang, China, including feces from farm workers (n=130) and dairy cattle (n=154), and environmental samples (n=33). E. faecalis and E. faecium were isolated and identified, followed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to analyze their molecular characteristics. Results A total of 183 Enterococcus isolates were obtained (66 E. faecalis and 117 E. faecium isolated). The isolation rates of both species showed statistically significant differences among the three sources (χ2=29.21, P=0.003). Antimicrobial resistance analysis revealed that E. faecalis generally exhibited higher resistance rates across multiple antibiotic classes than E. faecium. High resistance to rifampicin was observed across all sources (50.00%–81.25%), with statistical variation among origins (χ2=8.03, P=0.024). Multidrug-resistant strains accounted for 69.10% of the isolates. Multidrug resistance patterns in E. faecium varied significantly by source (χ2=27.19, P=0.014), and one isolate displayed resistance to eight antibiotic classes. MLST indicated high genetic diversity; E. faecalis was dominated by ST472 and ST227 of which the distrubution was significantly different among sources, while E. faecium primarily clustered into clonal complexes CC94 (centered on ST94) and CC17 (centered on ST22). Conclusion Resistant Enterococcus strains exhibit cross-transmission among farm workers, animals, and the environment. Under the "One Health" framework, standardized farming protocols and prudent antimicrobial use are essential to disrupt the transmission chain of resistant clones and mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance at its source.
8.Genotypic diversity and antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus in dairy farming workplaces
Xiangnan WEI ; Yanggui CHEN ; Jia HUANG ; Fulong WANG ; Jiguo JIN ; Fan WU ; Xixiao MA ; Zhaojie WANG ; Xingyu WANG ; Wanting XU ; Jianyong WU ; Fuye LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(5):582-590
Background Under intensive dairy farming conditions, Enterococcus spp. can be transmitted between animals, farm workers, and the environment via multiple vectors such as feces, soil, water, air, and farming equipment, posing a potential threat to public health. Objective To elucidate the prevalence, distribution, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) and Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) among farm workers, dairy cattle, and the farm environment in Xinjiang, and to assess the risk of their cross-host transmission. Methods From May 2024 to January 2025, a total of 317 samples were collected from 11 large-scale dairy farms in Xinjiang, China, including feces from farm workers (n=130) and dairy cattle (n=154), and environmental samples (n=33). E. faecalis and E. faecium were isolated and identified, followed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to analyze their molecular characteristics. Results A total of 183 Enterococcus isolates were obtained (66 E. faecalis and 117 E. faecium isolated). The isolation rates of both species showed statistically significant differences among the three sources (χ2=29.21, P=0.003). Antimicrobial resistance analysis revealed that E. faecalis generally exhibited higher resistance rates across multiple antibiotic classes than E. faecium. High resistance to rifampicin was observed across all sources (50.00%–81.25%), with statistical variation among origins (χ2=8.03, P=0.024). Multidrug-resistant strains accounted for 69.10% of the isolates. Multidrug resistance patterns in E. faecium varied significantly by source (χ2=27.19, P=0.014), and one isolate displayed resistance to eight antibiotic classes. MLST indicated high genetic diversity; E. faecalis was dominated by ST472 and ST227 of which the distrubution was significantly different among sources, while E. faecium primarily clustered into clonal complexes CC94 (centered on ST94) and CC17 (centered on ST22). Conclusion Resistant Enterococcus strains exhibit cross-transmission among farm workers, animals, and the environment. Under the "One Health" framework, standardized farming protocols and prudent antimicrobial use are essential to disrupt the transmission chain of resistant clones and mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance at its source.
9.Lipidomics Combined with Machine Learning for Screening Biomarkers of Early-Stage Lung Cancer in the Elderly
Qing WANG ; Yue HE ; Xu LIU ; Zifan LI ; Kezhong CHEN
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(3):652-662
Based on plasma lipidomics combined with machine learning approaches, this study aimed to screen molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer in elderly patients and to evaluate their diagnostic performance. This was a retrospective diagnostic study consisting of two parts. The first part involved molecular biomarker screening. Elderly patients with early-stage lung cancer (early lung cancer group), patients with benign pulmonary nodules (benign nodule group), and contemporaneous healthy individuals undergoing physical examinations (healthy control group) were enrolled from Peking University People's Hospital between November 2023 and November 2024. In addition, early-stage lung cancer patients and healthy controls meeting the inclusion criteria from a previous study of our research group were included as an independent validation cohort. Plasma samples were collected from all subjects, and untargeted lipidomics analysis was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were used to evaluate metabolic differences between groups. L1-regularized support vector machine combined with incremental feature selection was employed to screen diagnostic biomarkers for early-stage lung cancer. Model performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curves, Brier scores, and decision curve analysis. The second part involved functional validation of the molecular biomarkers using the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549, with palmitoylcarnitine (CAR 16∶0) selected as a representative biomarker for functional validation via CCK-8 and cell scratch assays. A total of 36 patients in the early lung cancer group, 35 patients in the benign nodule group, and 41 healthy controls were enrolled, along with an independent validation cohort of 110 individuals (59 patients with early-stage lung cancer and 51 healthy controls). The principal component analysis results demonstrated that quality control samples were tightly aggregated at the centroid of all samples, reflecting robust instrument performance and dependable data quality.Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis revealed significant metabolic differences between the early lung cancer group and the control group (benign nodule group + healthy control group) (R2X=0.406, R2Y=0.529, Q2Y=0.44). L1-regularized support vector machine identified five carnitine-related lipids-palmitoleoylcarnitine(CAR 16∶1), palmitoylcarnitine, The five plasma carnitine-related lipids screened based on untargeted lipidomics and machine learning may serve as potential molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer in elderly patients. The high-sensitivity characteristic of the model makes it particularly suitable for screening scenarios in early-stage lung cancer.
10.Research progress on strategies for toxicity reduction and efficacy enhancement of triptolide
Xiaoqing ZHENG ; Ying DING ; Shanshan XU ; Long WANG ; Shanshan HAN ; Yaping XING ; Meng ZHANG ; Wenhao LI
China Pharmacy 2026;37(11):1496-1501
Triptolide (TP), the core active component of the traditional Chinese medicine Tripterygium wilfordii , exhibits remarkable pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive and anti-tumor effects, and holds broad application prospects in the treatment of major diseases such as autoimmune diseases and malignant tumors. However, TP has a narrow therapeutic window and causes multi-organ toxicities including liver, kidney and reproductive toxicities, which severely restrict its safe clinical application and new drug development. Therefore, toxicity reduction and efficacy enhancement has become a core scientific problem urgently to be solved in this field. This paper systematically reviews the four core strategies for TP toxicity reduction and efficacy enhancement, including structural modification, dosage form improvement, herbal compatibility, and external therapies of traditional Chinese medicine. Among them, structural modification optimizes the toxic and efficacy characteristics of TP from the molecular structure level, with typica l derivatives including (5 R )-5-hydroxy triptolide, ZT01, PG490-88, etc. Dosage form modification achieves toxicity reduction and efficacy enhancement via targeted and sustained-controlled drug release of diverse delivery systems. It includes triptolide preparations such as nanoparticles, liposomes, microemulsion gels and liquid crystals, possessing favorable clinical transformation potential. The herbal compatibility and external therapies of traditional Chinese medicine conform to the holistic view of traditional Chinese medicine and have a profound clinical application foundation, but their mechanisms of action are insufficiently elucidated, and they lack unified standardized specifications and high-quality evidence-based proof. In the future, we should rely on multi-omics technology to elucidate the toxic and efficacy mechanisms, integrate technologies to optimize preparations, improve the evaluation system and promote clinical transformation.


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