1.Macrophage autophagy in lung diseases:two-sided effects
Huijuan YOU ; Shuzhen WU ; Rong RONG ; Liyuan CHEN ; Yuqing ZHAO ; Qinglu WANG ; Xiaowei OU ; Fengying YANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(6):1516-1526
BACKGROUND:Macrophages play a key role in the occurrence and progression of lung diseases,and autophagy plays an important role in maintaining environmental homeostasis and functional stability in macrophages.It has been suggested that macrophage autophagic activity has two sides in lung inflammatory diseases.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the relationship between macrophage autophagy and lung diseases,thereby providing reference for exploring the prevention and treatment strategies of lung inflammatory diseases by targeting macrophage autophagy.METHODS:Literature retrieval was performed in CNKI and PubMed for relevant literature published from database inception to September 2024.The search terms were"macrophage autophagy,efferocytosis,macrophage polarization,acute lung injury,pneumonia,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,pulmonary fibrosis,asthma"in Chinese and English,respectively.The search results were included or excluded based on the selection criteria,and 100 papers that met the criteria were finally included in the review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The obstruction of autophagy flow will induce the polarization imbalance of macrophages and impair their efferocytosis,resulting in the increase of M1 macrophages and aggravating inflammation.(2)The judgment of autophagic activity should be based on whether the autophagy flow is smooth or not,and it is essential to evaluate the degradation ability of autophagy.Some studies failed to comprehensively detect the degradation ability of autophagy lysosomes to assess whether the autophagy flow is unobtrusive.As a result,the so-called two-sided view of pulmonary macrophage autophagy in pulmonary inflammatory diseases in such studies is actually related to the one-sided judgment of autophagy activity.(3)The pathological manifestations vary across different pulmonary diseases and even at different stages of the same disease.Activation of macrophage autophagy plays a positive role in regulating pulmonary inflammatory homeostasis in conditions such as acute lung injury,infectious pneumonia,mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,early-stage pulmonary fibrosis,and secondary asthma.However,in the severe fibrotic stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the progressive stage of pulmonary fibrosis,the activation of pulmonary macrophage autophagy aggravates pulmonary fibrosis,reflecting the dual nature of macrophage autophagy.In allergic asthma,autophagy is activated in lung-resident macrophages but suppressed in infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages from circulation.The former is closely related to airway stenosis,and the latter aggravates pneumonia disorders.Therefore,identifying the types and progression stages of lung diseases,along with accurately assessing autophagic activity,is crucial for future investigations into the relationship between macrophage autophagy and disease pathogenesis,thereby facilitating the development of therapeutic strategies in the future.
2.Guidelines for standardized implementation of pharmacist-managed clinics (2026 edition)
Pengxiang ZHOU ; Maobai LIU ; Xiaoli DU ; Xiaoyang LU ; Mei DONG ; Rong DUAN ; Ruigang HOU ; Xiaoyu LI ; Qi CHEN ; Yanxiao XIANG ; Weiyi FENG ; Rong CHEN ; Deshi DONG ; Yong YANG ; Li LI ; Xiaocong ZUO ; Jinfang HU ; Hongliang ZHANG ; Qingchun ZHAO ; Qi LIN ; Yang HU ; Jiaying WU ; Rongsheng ZHAO
China Pharmacy 2026;37(9):1105-1112
OBJECTIVE To formulate Guidelines for the standardized implementation of pharmacist-managed clinics ( 2026 edition ) in response to the challenges faced by such clinics in China, including uneven development, large discrepancies in service specifications, insufficient patient awareness, and limited medical insurance coverage. METHODS Led by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Professional Committee of the Chinese Hospital Association, the Evidence-based Pharmacy Professional Committee of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, and the Hospital Pharmacy Professional Committee of the Cross-strait Medical and Health Exchange Association, a total of 19 domestic hospital pharmacy experts were organized. Through a systematic review of national policies and literature research, current practical experience was summarized. Consensus on the contents of the guidelines was reached after in-depth discussions. RESULTS &CONCLUSIONS The guidelines covered five sections: definition and connotation of pharmacist-managed clinics, establishment requirements, implementation and management, post competency, and practical research. Firstly, the definition and connotation included three operational forms of pharmacist-managed clinics (independent mode, physician-pharmacist joint mode, and online pharmacist-managed clinic mode) and classified service modes (specialty-specific, drug-specific, and disease-specific pharmacist-managed clinics). The establishment requirements were further refined, covering system construction (pharmaceutical service management system, quality control and assessment mechanism), personnel qualifications (professional credentials, continuing education and professional training, etc), service recipients, as well as service venues and facilities. Subsequently, the implementation and management of pharmacist-managed clinics were proposed, involving service procedures, intervention measures, documentation and records, patient education and follow-up, humanistic care, as well as risk management and quality control. Finally, post competency encompassed the competency requirements for pharmacists providing services in pharmacist-managed clinics, as well as the suggestions on teaching methods; practical research encouraged the conduct of high-quality pharmaceutical practice in the setting of pharmacist-managed clinics. The guidelines provide valuable guidance for the standardized implementation of pharmacist-managed clinics in China in terms of establishment, management, teaching, and research, fill the guideline gap in this field, and can promote the high-quality development of pharmacist-managed clinics.
3.Mechanism of Huangqin decoction in improving ulcerative colitis based on the gut microbiota-tryptophan metabolism-aryl hydrocarbon receptor axis
Ying CHEN ; Rong XU ; Yao HE ; Ying LI ; Zhiyu ZHANG ; Zhijiu WU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(9):1173-1179
OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of Huangqin decoction in improving ulcerative colitis (UC) through the gut microbiota-tryptophan metabolism-aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) axis. METHODS Mice were randomly divided into normal group (normal saline), model group (normal saline), microbiota depletion-model group (normal saline), microbiota depletion-Huangqin decoction group (9.1 g/kg, by crude drug, similarly hereinafter), Huangqin decoction group and mesalazine group (positive control group, 0.4 g/kg), with 6 mice in each group. Microbiota depletion was achieved by providing free access to a mixed antibiotics for 10 days. The UC model was induced by administering 2.5% dextran sulfate sodium solution for 7 days. After successful modeling, each treatment group received corresponding drugs or normal saline intragastrically once daily for 10 days. After the final administration, body weight change ratio, disease activity index (DAI) score, and colon length were evaluated; colon pathological changes were observed; serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, IL-22, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured; the expressions of Occludin, zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1), and AhR in colon tissue were detected; fecal samples were subjected to high-throughput sequencing to analyze targeted tryptophan metabolomics. RESULTS Compared with the model group, Huangqin decoction group showed reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells in the colon tissue and restoration of the intestinal mucosal structure. Body weight change ratio, colon length, serum content of IL-10, the expressions of Occludin, ZO-1 and AhR in colon tissue and the contents of tryptophan metabolites indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), N -acetylserotonin (NAS) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) were all significantly increased ( P <0.05); DAI score, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-22 and the content of tryptophan metabolite indole-3-ethanol were significantly decreased ( P <0.05); gut microbiota structure was improved, with increased relative abundances of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus , and decreased relative abundances of pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia-Shigella . However, after antibiotic-induced microbiota depletion, although Huangqin decoction significantly increased the content of NAS in the feces of mice, the expression of AhR protein in colon tissue did not increase concurrently. CONCLUSIONS Huangqin decoction can repair the intestinal mucosal barrier in UC mice by regulating the gut microbiota and promoting the production of IPA and IAA, thereby activating AhR. This suggests that an intact gut microbiota is an important prerequisite for Huangqin decoction to exert its AhR-regulating effects.
4.Macrophage autophagy in lung diseases:two-sided effects
Huijuan YOU ; Shuzhen WU ; Rong RONG ; Liyuan CHEN ; Yuqing ZHAO ; Qinglu WANG ; Xiaowei OU ; Fengying YANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(6):1516-1526
BACKGROUND:Macrophages play a key role in the occurrence and progression of lung diseases,and autophagy plays an important role in maintaining environmental homeostasis and functional stability in macrophages.It has been suggested that macrophage autophagic activity has two sides in lung inflammatory diseases.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the relationship between macrophage autophagy and lung diseases,thereby providing reference for exploring the prevention and treatment strategies of lung inflammatory diseases by targeting macrophage autophagy.METHODS:Literature retrieval was performed in CNKI and PubMed for relevant literature published from database inception to September 2024.The search terms were"macrophage autophagy,efferocytosis,macrophage polarization,acute lung injury,pneumonia,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,pulmonary fibrosis,asthma"in Chinese and English,respectively.The search results were included or excluded based on the selection criteria,and 100 papers that met the criteria were finally included in the review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The obstruction of autophagy flow will induce the polarization imbalance of macrophages and impair their efferocytosis,resulting in the increase of M1 macrophages and aggravating inflammation.(2)The judgment of autophagic activity should be based on whether the autophagy flow is smooth or not,and it is essential to evaluate the degradation ability of autophagy.Some studies failed to comprehensively detect the degradation ability of autophagy lysosomes to assess whether the autophagy flow is unobtrusive.As a result,the so-called two-sided view of pulmonary macrophage autophagy in pulmonary inflammatory diseases in such studies is actually related to the one-sided judgment of autophagy activity.(3)The pathological manifestations vary across different pulmonary diseases and even at different stages of the same disease.Activation of macrophage autophagy plays a positive role in regulating pulmonary inflammatory homeostasis in conditions such as acute lung injury,infectious pneumonia,mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,early-stage pulmonary fibrosis,and secondary asthma.However,in the severe fibrotic stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the progressive stage of pulmonary fibrosis,the activation of pulmonary macrophage autophagy aggravates pulmonary fibrosis,reflecting the dual nature of macrophage autophagy.In allergic asthma,autophagy is activated in lung-resident macrophages but suppressed in infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages from circulation.The former is closely related to airway stenosis,and the latter aggravates pneumonia disorders.Therefore,identifying the types and progression stages of lung diseases,along with accurately assessing autophagic activity,is crucial for future investigations into the relationship between macrophage autophagy and disease pathogenesis,thereby facilitating the development of therapeutic strategies in the future.
5.Hydrogen and Methane Breath Test: The Asian Neurogastroenterology andMotility Association Monograph
Yinglian XIAO ; Kewin T H SIAH ; Mengyu ZHANG ; Benjamin Wei Rong TAY ; Kee Huat CHUAH ; Victoria TAN ; Yen Po WANG ; Yingxuan CHEN ; Ling LIU ; Uday C GHOSHAL ; Justin C Y WU ; Xiaohua HOU
Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility 2026;32(2):150-171
Despite of the widespread use of hydrogen and methane breath test, the variability in testing protocols, gas measurement techniques, and interpretation criteria continues to challenge the reproducibility and comparability across centers, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association hence presents the first Asian monograph guiding application and interpretation of breath test. The monograph was formulated according to the framework of indications, preparatory process, performance, and interpretation of results, as well as future direction for research.
6.Expression characteristics of placental steroidogenic enzymes in preeclampsia
Zixi CHEN ; Guotai SUN ; Haining JIAO ; Fenfen XIANG ; Zhengrong ZHONG ; Rong WU
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(6):1082-1090
ObjectiveTo investigate the expression patterns of key steroidogenic enzymes (CYP11A1, HSD3B1, and CYP19A1) in placental tissues from preeclampsia (PE) patients and evaluate their potential as biomarkers for PE. MethodsA case-control study was conducted using placental tissues from PE patients (PE group, n=3) and normotensive pregnant women (control group, n=3). RNA sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), followed by validation of target gene expression using Western blot, qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry. Steroid hormone levels in placental tissues and serum were measured by ELISA. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess associations between protein expression and clinical parameters, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of target genes for PE. ResultsThe results showed that 501 DEGs (P<0.05 and |Log2Fold Change| >1) were identified in PE placental tissues, with KEGG enrichment analysis revealing significant involvement in steroid hormone biosynthesis pathways. Compared with the control group, PE placental tissues exhibited significantly decreased protein and mRNA expression of HSD3B1 and CYP19A1 (P<0.01), while CYP11A1 expression was upregulated (P<0.05). Serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) levels were significantly reduced in the PE group (P<0.01), whereas testosterone (T) levels were elevated (P<0.05). Correlation analysis demonstrated that CYP11A1 expression was positively associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) (P<0.01), but negatively correlated with placental growth factor (PLGF) (P<0.01). Conversely, HSD3B1 and CYP19A1 expression showed inverse correlations with these clinical parameters (P<0.01). ROC analysis revealed that CYP11A1, HSD3B1, and CYP19A1 each had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.778 for predicting PE, with 95%CI ranging from 0.614 to 0.942 (P=0.004). The sensitivity was 94.4%, and the specificity was 66.7%. ConclusionThese findings suggest that dysregulated expression of steroidogenic enzymes in PE placental tissues contributes to hormonal imbalance, thereby playing a role in PE pathogenesis. Furthermore, CYP11A1, HSD3B1, and CYP19A1 may serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers for PE.
7.Current Status and Prospects of Artificial Intelligence Technologyin Minimally Invasive Gastric Cancer Surgery
Tao ZHANG ; Boer SU ; Guanxing LIANG ; Shiman DAI ; Jiawei CHEN ; Zhengjie LIU ; Cheng PENG ; Rong LIU ; Qinglan LIN ; Yidan WU ; Yuhui WU ; Jiaming WEN ; Hong WANG ; Hao CHEN ; Jiang YU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(4):933-942
Gastric cancer remains a highly prevalent malignancy worldwide, with surgical resection currently constituting the cornerstone of treatment aimed at improving long-term patient survival. Owing to their notable advantages, including reduced surgical trauma and accelerated postoperative recovery, minimally invasive procedures are progressively supplanting conventional open surgery and have become the mainstream approach in gastric cancer management. Concurrently, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has enabled real-time intraoperative monitoring of surgical scenes, thereby furnishing novel technical support for adjunctive decision-making, surgical navigation, and skill assessment during gastrectomy. This article provides a systematic review of the current status of AI applications in minimally invasive gastric cancer surgery, with a particular focus on research progress pertaining to instrument recognition, surgical phase identification, delineation of normal anatomical structures, detection of metastatic foci, and early warning of intraoperative adverse events. Furthermore, we discuss the potential value of AI in enhancing surgical efficiency, ensuring patient safety, and optimizing surgical education. On this basis, we further analyze the principal challenges and inherent risks confronting current AI systems, with the aim of informing future technological innovation and facilitating clinical translation.
8.Exposure to N,N-dimethylformamide activates sterol regulatory element-binding proteins and affects iron metabolism
Xiaoxia JIANG ; Mei WU ; Zhujun CHEN ; Jianbing WU ; Rong CHEN ; Jiayi SHEN ; Zhijun LI
China Occupational Medicine 2026;53(1):79-83
Objective To investigated the effects of occupational exposure to N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) on sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) and iron metabolism among workers. Methods A total of 20 workers occupationally exposed to DMF were selected as the exposure group, and 15 healthy workers without DMF exposure from the same factory were selected as the control group using the purposive sampling method. DMF exposure levels were assessed in individual samples of the workers. The urinary N-methylformamide (NMF) levels were measured by gas chromatography. The mRNA expression of SREBP-1a, SREBP-1c, and SREBP-2 in peripheral blood was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and ferritin levels. Results The DMF exposure levels among the workers in the control group were below the detection limit, and urinary NMF was undetectable. The median DMF exposure level was 13.30 mg/m3, and the mean urinary NMF level was (9.72±1.78) mg/g Cr among the workers in the exposure group. Compared with the control group, the relative mRNA expression of SREBP-1a, SREBP-1c, and SREBP-2 in peripheral blood of workers in the exposure group increased (all P<0.05), while the levels of transferrin and sTfR decreased (both P<0.01). However, there was no statistically significant difference in serum ferritin levels between the two groups (P>0.05). In the exposure group, urinary NMF level of workers was negatively correlated with the relative mRNA expression level of SREBP-1c in blood [correlation coefficient (r)=-0.50, P=0.03], and positively correlated with the levels of serum transferrin, sTfR, and ferritin (r = 0.63, 0.58, and 0.52, respectively; all P<0.05). Conclusion Occupational exposure to DMF can upregulate the expression of the SREBP family and disrupt iron metabolism, with a potential association between these effects.
9.Emergency testing and analysis of a mixed poisoning incident involving methyl acetate and dimethyl carbonate
Guanlin CHEN ; Yao GUO ; Jianyi LIANG ; Qiang TAN ; Jiaheng HE ; Wanxia CHEN ; Yingqing XIE ; Weifeng RONG ; Banghua WU
China Occupational Medicine 2026;53(1):116-120
Objective To analyze the emergency testing results of a mixed poisoning incident involving methyl acetate and dimethyl carbonate in a composite fabric processing enterprise. Methods A mixed poisoning incident involving methyl acetate and dimethyl carbonate occurred at a composite fabric processing enterprise in a city of Guangdong Province. On-site occupational health investigation data and laboratory testing results related to this incident were collected, and an integrated analysis was conducted. Results The on-site occupational health investigation revealed inadequate ventilation and non-standard use of personal protective equipment. Volatile organic component analysis of raw and auxiliary materials showed that methyl acetate and dimethyl carbonate had relatively high percentages of peak area among all used volatile organic chemical agents in post-incident emergency testing, accounting for 65.10% and 38.25%, respectively. The exposure concentration of short term (CSTE) of methyl acetate in the production line air was 15.13 mg/m³. In the chemical storage area, CSTE of methyl acetate and methanol were 451.04 and <0.21 mg/m³, respectively, all below their respective occupational exposure limits (500.00 and 50.00 mg/m³). In the poisoned workers, blood methanol, blood formic acid, and urinary formic acid levels were 147, 414, and 4 389 mg/L, respectively. Conclusion Occupational exposure to methyl acetate and dimethyl carbonate may lead to acute occupational poisoning and cause health damage. Employers should fulfill their responsibilities for occupational disease prevention by ensuring proper operation of protective facilities, while workers should enhance awareness of occupational disease prevention and correctly use personal protective equipment.
10.Enhanced radiotheranostic targeting of integrin α5β1 with PEGylation-enabled peptide multidisplay platform (PEGibody): A strategy for prolonged tumor retention with fast blood clearance.
Siqi ZHANG ; Xiaohui MA ; Jiang WU ; Jieting SHEN ; Yuntao SHI ; Xingkai WANG ; Lin XIE ; Xiaona SUN ; Yuxuan WU ; Hao TIAN ; Xin GAO ; Xueyao CHEN ; Hongyi HUANG ; Lu CHEN ; Xuekai SONG ; Qichen HU ; Hailong ZHANG ; Feng WANG ; Zhao-Hui JIN ; Ming-Rong ZHANG ; Rui WANG ; Kuan HU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(2):692-706
Peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals targeting integrin α5β1 show promise for precise tumor diagnosis and treatment. However, current peptide-based radioligands that target α5β1 demonstrate inadequate in vivo performance owing to limited tumor retention. The use of PEGylation to enhance the tumor retention of radiopharmaceuticals by prolonging blood circulation time poses a risk of increased blood toxicity. Therefore, a PEGylation strategy that boosts tumor retention while minimizing blood circulation time is urgently needed. Here, we developed a PEGylation-enabled peptide multidisplay platform (PEGibody) for PR_b, an α5β1 targeting peptide. PEGibody generation involved PEGylation and self-assembly. [64Cu]QM-2303 PEGibodies displayed spherical nanoparticles ranging from 100 to 200 nm in diameter. Compared with non-PEGylated radioligands, [64Cu]QM-2303 demonstrated enhanced tumor retention time due to increased binding affinity and stability. Importantly, the biodistribution analysis confirmed rapid clearance of [64Cu]QM-2303 from the bloodstream. Administration of a single dose of [177Lu]QM-2303 led to robust antitumor efficacy. Furthermore, [64Cu]/[177Lu]QM-2303 exhibited low hematological and organ toxicity in both healthy and tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, this study presents a PEGibody-based radiotheranostic approach that enhances tumor retention time and provides long-lasting antitumor effects without prolonging blood circulation lifetime. The PEGibody-based radiopharmaceutical [64Cu]/[177Lu]QM-2303 shows great potential for positron emission tomography imaging-guided targeted radionuclide therapy for α5β1-overexpressing tumors.

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