1.Traditional Chinese Medicine in Regulation of Relevant Signaling Pathways for Glaucoma Treatment: A Review
Weiwen QIU ; Xueqin HE ; Xinbei LIN ; Lianxiang LUO ; Qiuli ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(1):338-346
Glaucoma, characterized by pathological elevation of intraocular pressure, progressive optic nerve damage, and apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells, is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness. It is strongly associated with significant vision loss and a decline in quality of life. Although pharmacological therapy remains the primary approach to managing glaucoma, clinical outcomes are often suboptimal, highlighting the urgent need for safe and effective alternative treatments. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), glaucoma is categorized as part of the "five wind internal obstruction" syndrome, and TCM has amassed substantial experience in the prevention and treatment of this condition. Therefore, this article provided a comprehensive review of recent findings on the relationship between glaucoma and relevant signaling pathways, as well as the regulatory effects of TCM on these pathways in the treatment of glaucoma. TCM can exert therapeutic effects by modulating key signaling pathways, including the Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88/nuclear factor-κB (TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB) signaling pathway, Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/serine-threonine protein kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1) pathway. These pathways are involved in reducing inflammation, inhibiting apoptosis and ferroptosis, and ameliorating oxidative stress. By synthesizing current research, this article offers theoretical insights and practical references for advancing the understanding of the pathological mechanisms underlying glaucoma, innovating strategies for optic nerve protection, and promoting integrative TCM and Western medical approaches in glaucoma management.
2.Effects of exogenous additives on growth and high-value bioproducts accumulation of microalgae.
Yawei WU ; Fangzhong WANG ; Lei CHEN ; Weiwen ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(1):173-198
With the rapid development of synthetic biology, genetic engineering, and molecular manipulation methods in recent years, microalgae, as representatives of microbial cell factories, have been widely used as hosts in the production of high-value bioproducts, such as oils, pigments, proteins, and biofuels, demonstrating promising prospects of application in biochemical energy, food and drugs, and environmental protection. Despite these advancements, the low production efficiency of microalgae limits their industrial application. In addition to strain improvement and culture condition optimization, the regulation by exogenous chemical additives serves as a promising optimization strategy. This method relies on straightforward phenotypic screening and circumvents the necessity for intricate understanding of molecular targets in the metabolic and catabolic pathways involved in the synthesis of bioproducts. It enables rapid yield increasing of high-value bioproducts from microalgae and obtaining the required phenotypes. Although studies have reported the use of alternatives means such as exogenous additives to improve the growth of microalgae and the yield of high-value bioproducts, the classification and summarization of the types, applications, targeted strains, and molecular mechanisms of these additives are not comprehensive. Here, we review the studies using chemical inducers or enhancers to improve cell growth and high-value bioproduct accumulation in microalgae in recent years. This paper focuses on the types of exogenous additives, the effects of exogenous additives and their combinations on microalgae growth and high-value bioproduct accumulation, and the molecular mechanisms of related effects. We aim to provide information for researchers to use methods of synthetic biology to develop suitable cell chassis and harness microalgae for industrial production.
Microalgae/drug effects*
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Biofuels
3.Correlation between poor position of lumbar pedicle screws and postoperative neurological symptoms
Wen WAN ; Weicheng CHEN ; Weiwen CHEN ; Ning ZHANG ; Liuxue DU ; Jiangwei CHEN ; Rongping ZHOU ; Zhili LIU ; Shanhu HUANG ; Jiaming LIU
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(20):3220-3227
Objective To analyze the correlation between the poor position of pedicle screw after lumbar internal fixation and the occurrence of postoperative neurological symptoms.Methods The clinical data of patients who underwent lumbar pedicle screw surgery in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.Record the patient's sex,age,diagnosis,surgical segment,the presence of postoperative neurological complications,the types of neurological complications.According to the postoperative CT,the screw penetration zone and grade were evaluated,and the distribution of different pedicle screw penetration types was recorded.The correlation between different types of pedicle screw penetration and postoperative neurological symptoms was analyzed.Results A total of 184 patients were included,including 80 males and 104 females.Age ranged from 18 to 82 years,with an average of 60.1±14.2 years.35 patients developed new neurological symptoms after operation.The incidence of postoperative neurological symptoms caused by pedicle medial quadrant screw penetration and lower quadrant screw penetration was higher than that of pedicle superior quadrant and lateral quadrant screw penetration.From L1 to L5,the risk of postoperative neurological symptoms caused by screw penetration in the medial quadrant of the pedicle increases gradually.When the penetration distance of pedicle medial quadrant screws in L4 and L5 segments is≥2mm,the risk of postoperative neurological symptoms is high.When the penetration distance of pedicle medial quadrant screws in L1,L2 and L3 segments is greater than 4mm,the risk of postoperative neurological symptoms is high.The distance of pedicle screw penetrating the medial quadrant of pedicle was positively correlated with the incidence of postoperative neurological symptoms(P<0.05).Conclusion The lateral and superior quadrants of the pedicle may be regarded as safety zones for lumbar pedicle screw placement.For the L1~L3 segments,screw penetration depth should not exceed 4 mm;whereas for the L4~L5 segments,the safety threshold must be strictly controlled within 2 mm.
4.Detection research of diatom by gene arrays in drowning cases
Ping YANG ; Yongjun XIA ; Min RAO ; Zhihao ZHANG ; Bo XIE ; Weiwen CAI ; Xiaoli WANG
Chinese Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;40(1):56-59
Objective To detect diatoms in tissues and water samples from drowning cases by gene array,and explore the application value of DNA microarray.Methods Diatoms in the lung,liver,kidney samples,and on-site water samples from 19 drowned corpses that appeared in the rivers of Zhongshan City between July 2021 and April 2022,were detected by gene arrays.Moreover,diatom detection was also performed on 28 samples from 7 corpses by microscope.Then the testing results were compared and analyzed.Results For those 28 samples,diatom types in both tissue and water samples by gene detection were more than those detected by microscopy,the detection was statistically significant(P<0.05).However,there was no statistically significant difference(P>0.05)in the detection of diatom types between tissue samples and water samples both using gene arrays.In terms of tissue samples,diatoms were easier to be detected in lung than liver or kidney,and there were also more types of diatoms detected in lung.Diatom detection by gene arrays showed that the diatom types showed a decreasing trend as the tissue was further away from the entrance of body,and the difference of diatom types increased among tissues.Conclusion The gene array can effectively detect the diatom types and distribution characteristics in drowned corpses,and has great potential in the research of the traceability analysis of corpses found in water and the causes of death.
5.Preliminary study on the role of peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 in the regulation of maxillofacial development
Xingzhi YAN ; Xinyu CAI ; Simai CHEN ; Weiwen FANG ; Fan LEI ; Dan CAO ; Yang ZHANG
STOMATOLOGY 2025;45(4):241-247
Objective To investigate the effect of peptidyl arginine deiminase 4(PAD4)on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from oral bones(OMSC)and craniomaxillofacial development.Methods Immunofluorescence was used to detect the ex-pression of PAD4 in the mandibular of mice E13.5 embryo.A peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 knockout(PAD4-KO)mouse model was constructed.Craniomaxillofacial development was investigated by micro-CT.CCK-8 assay and Transwell assay were used to detect the OMSC proliferation ability and migration ability of PAD4-KO and wild type(WT)mouse.ALP staining was used to detect the changes in OMSC osteogenic differentiation ability.The expression of osteogenesis-related genes was detected by immunofluorescence and PCR assay.Results PAD4 was highly expressed in the mandibular tissue of mouse embryos at E13.5.On the cellular level,PAD4 was ex-pressed in the nucleus and mitochondria of OMSC.Compared to the WT mice,micro-CT showed that PAD4-KO mice had retrusive jaw and decreased mineralization.The proliferation and migration ability of OMSC in PAD4-KO mice were decreased.OMSCs lacking PAD4 had significantly decreased ALP staining level,and the expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes were decreased.In addition,it was found that PAD4 might affect OMSC mineralization by regulating Runx2 transcription.Conclusion PAD4 is expressed in the jaw during embryonic development.It might affect the embryonic development by regulating the proliferation and differentiation of OMSC,leading to craniomaxillofacial abnormalities
6.Correlation between poor position of lumbar pedicle screws and postoperative neurological symptoms
Wen WAN ; Weicheng CHEN ; Weiwen CHEN ; Ning ZHANG ; Liuxue DU ; Jiangwei CHEN ; Rongping ZHOU ; Zhili LIU ; Shanhu HUANG ; Jiaming LIU
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(20):3220-3227
Objective To analyze the correlation between the poor position of pedicle screw after lumbar internal fixation and the occurrence of postoperative neurological symptoms.Methods The clinical data of patients who underwent lumbar pedicle screw surgery in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.Record the patient's sex,age,diagnosis,surgical segment,the presence of postoperative neurological complications,the types of neurological complications.According to the postoperative CT,the screw penetration zone and grade were evaluated,and the distribution of different pedicle screw penetration types was recorded.The correlation between different types of pedicle screw penetration and postoperative neurological symptoms was analyzed.Results A total of 184 patients were included,including 80 males and 104 females.Age ranged from 18 to 82 years,with an average of 60.1±14.2 years.35 patients developed new neurological symptoms after operation.The incidence of postoperative neurological symptoms caused by pedicle medial quadrant screw penetration and lower quadrant screw penetration was higher than that of pedicle superior quadrant and lateral quadrant screw penetration.From L1 to L5,the risk of postoperative neurological symptoms caused by screw penetration in the medial quadrant of the pedicle increases gradually.When the penetration distance of pedicle medial quadrant screws in L4 and L5 segments is≥2mm,the risk of postoperative neurological symptoms is high.When the penetration distance of pedicle medial quadrant screws in L1,L2 and L3 segments is greater than 4mm,the risk of postoperative neurological symptoms is high.The distance of pedicle screw penetrating the medial quadrant of pedicle was positively correlated with the incidence of postoperative neurological symptoms(P<0.05).Conclusion The lateral and superior quadrants of the pedicle may be regarded as safety zones for lumbar pedicle screw placement.For the L1~L3 segments,screw penetration depth should not exceed 4 mm;whereas for the L4~L5 segments,the safety threshold must be strictly controlled within 2 mm.
7.Review of biomechanical studies on the effects of various labor positions on the lower limb
Yan WANG ; Weiwen ZHANG ; Cui YIN ; Wenzhi CAI
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2025;41(26):2073-2076
This paper systematically searched Chinese and English databases from January 2000 to December 2024 to screen the research literature related to labor positions and biomechanics.By extracting key information such as study type, position type, measurement technique, mechanical parameters and injury findings, we focused on the differences in pelvic outlet expansion, lower limb joint loading and injury risk between upright and horizontal birthing positions, and then summarized the biomechanical mechanisms and findings by using thematic analysis.The analysis showed that the upright position could significantly expand the pelvic outlet, but might increase the load on the ankle and knee joints;the combination of video capture and open-source platform technology provided a new direction for the dynamic study of delivery positions.
8.Correlation between plasma NLRP3 inflammasome and atrial remodeling in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation
Hang MA ; Mi LI ; Jie ZHANG ; Weiwen WANG ; Lin LI
Chinese Journal of Geriatric Heart Brain and Vessel Diseases 2025;27(1):4-8
Objective To investigate the correlation between plasma nucleotide-binding oligomer-ization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome and atrial remodeling in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation(NVAF).Methods A total of 199 elderly NVAF patients hos-pitalized in the Department of Cardiology of the First Affiliated Kunming Medical University from July 2019 to October 2020 were enrolled in this study.The levels of inflammatory factors,such as plasma NLRP3 and IL-1β were detected using ELISA.Their clinical data and echocardio-graphic indicators were collected.According to the first quartile of left atrial diameter(LAD),they were divided into a LAD ≤36 mm group(52 cases)and a LAD>36 mm group(147 cases).Based on the mean level of NLRP3(97 ng/L),the patients were assigned into a low level group(95 ca-ses)and a high level group(104 cases).Using the first quartile of IL-1β at 49 ng/L and the third quartile at 106 ng/L,they were categorized into low,middle and high level groups(40,82 and 77 cases,respectively).The correlation between plasma NLRP3 and IL-1β levels and atrial remode-ling were analyzed.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine whether NLRP3 inflammasome was an independent influencing factor of atrial remodeling in NVAF pa-tients.Results The IL-1β and NLRP3 levels were significantly elevated in the LAD>36 mm group than the LAD ≤36 mm group(P<0.05,P<0.01).The patients with high NLRP3 level had an obviously larger transverse diameter of the middle right atrium than those with low level(P<0.05).Higher LAD index(LADI)was found in the high IL-1β level group than the low and middle level groups,and larger long diameter of right atrium was observed in the high level group than the low level group(P<0.05).Plasma NLRP3 level was positively correlated with LAD and transverse diameter of the middle right atrium(r=0.143,P=0.044;r=0.180,P=0.011),and plasma IL-1β level was positively correlated with LAD,LADI,and long diameter of the right atri-um(r=0.153,P=0.031;r=0.148,P=0.037;r=0.142,P=0.046).Multivariate logistic regres-sion analysis indicated that persistent atrial fibrillation,creatinine,pulmonary artery systolic pres-sure,and NLRP3 were independent risk factors for left atrial enlargement(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion NLRP3 inflammasome is closely associated with atrial remodeling in elderly NVAF patients,and elevated plasma NLRP3 level is an independent risk factor of left atrial remodeling.
9.Correlation between plasma NLRP3 inflammasome and atrial remodeling in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation
Hang MA ; Mi LI ; Jie ZHANG ; Weiwen WANG ; Lin LI
Chinese Journal of Geriatric Heart Brain and Vessel Diseases 2025;27(1):4-8
Objective To investigate the correlation between plasma nucleotide-binding oligomer-ization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome and atrial remodeling in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation(NVAF).Methods A total of 199 elderly NVAF patients hos-pitalized in the Department of Cardiology of the First Affiliated Kunming Medical University from July 2019 to October 2020 were enrolled in this study.The levels of inflammatory factors,such as plasma NLRP3 and IL-1β were detected using ELISA.Their clinical data and echocardio-graphic indicators were collected.According to the first quartile of left atrial diameter(LAD),they were divided into a LAD ≤36 mm group(52 cases)and a LAD>36 mm group(147 cases).Based on the mean level of NLRP3(97 ng/L),the patients were assigned into a low level group(95 ca-ses)and a high level group(104 cases).Using the first quartile of IL-1β at 49 ng/L and the third quartile at 106 ng/L,they were categorized into low,middle and high level groups(40,82 and 77 cases,respectively).The correlation between plasma NLRP3 and IL-1β levels and atrial remode-ling were analyzed.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine whether NLRP3 inflammasome was an independent influencing factor of atrial remodeling in NVAF pa-tients.Results The IL-1β and NLRP3 levels were significantly elevated in the LAD>36 mm group than the LAD ≤36 mm group(P<0.05,P<0.01).The patients with high NLRP3 level had an obviously larger transverse diameter of the middle right atrium than those with low level(P<0.05).Higher LAD index(LADI)was found in the high IL-1β level group than the low and middle level groups,and larger long diameter of right atrium was observed in the high level group than the low level group(P<0.05).Plasma NLRP3 level was positively correlated with LAD and transverse diameter of the middle right atrium(r=0.143,P=0.044;r=0.180,P=0.011),and plasma IL-1β level was positively correlated with LAD,LADI,and long diameter of the right atri-um(r=0.153,P=0.031;r=0.148,P=0.037;r=0.142,P=0.046).Multivariate logistic regres-sion analysis indicated that persistent atrial fibrillation,creatinine,pulmonary artery systolic pres-sure,and NLRP3 were independent risk factors for left atrial enlargement(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion NLRP3 inflammasome is closely associated with atrial remodeling in elderly NVAF patients,and elevated plasma NLRP3 level is an independent risk factor of left atrial remodeling.
10.Review of biomechanical studies on the effects of various labor positions on the lower limb
Yan WANG ; Weiwen ZHANG ; Cui YIN ; Wenzhi CAI
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2025;41(26):2073-2076
This paper systematically searched Chinese and English databases from January 2000 to December 2024 to screen the research literature related to labor positions and biomechanics.By extracting key information such as study type, position type, measurement technique, mechanical parameters and injury findings, we focused on the differences in pelvic outlet expansion, lower limb joint loading and injury risk between upright and horizontal birthing positions, and then summarized the biomechanical mechanisms and findings by using thematic analysis.The analysis showed that the upright position could significantly expand the pelvic outlet, but might increase the load on the ankle and knee joints;the combination of video capture and open-source platform technology provided a new direction for the dynamic study of delivery positions.

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