1.Effect and Mechanism of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus Lignans on Behavior of Schizophrenic Mice
Jiaqi LI ; Xi CHEN ; Siwei WANG ; Qi WANG ; Yiting LIU ; Ziyan GUO ; Zilong LUN ; Chengyi ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):65-71
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans on schizophrenia induced by dizocilpine maleate (MK-801) in mice and to clarify its mechanism. MethodsMale mice of 4-6 weeks old were randomized into blank, model, positive drug, and low-, medium-, and high-dose (40, 80, 160 mg·kg-1, respectively) Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans groups. The blank group was administrated with distilled water, and the other groups were injected with 0.5 mg·kg-1 MK-801 to induce schizophrenia symptoms. Meanwhile, risperidone was injected at 0.2 mg·kg-1 in the positive drug group, and mice in the intervention groups were injected with corresponding drugs for 14 consecutive days. The behavioral changes of mice were observed by autonomous activity test, open field test, forced swimming test, and water maze test. The levels of dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the brain and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in peripheral blood were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The changes in the prefrontal lobe of mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the changes of the hippocampal tissue were observed by Nissl staining. The protein levels of silencing information regulatory factor 1 (SIRT1) and forkhead box protein O3a (FoxO3a) in the hippocampus of mice were determined by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the model group, low, medium, and high doses of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans reduced the total number of autonomous activities, total distance in the open field test, immobile time in the forced swimming test, and levels of TNF-α and NF-κB in peripheral blood (P<0.05), while increasing the number of platform crossings in the water maze test and DA and 5-HT levels in the brain tissue (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, risperidone and low, medium, and high doses of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans improve the neural cell morphology in the CA1 region, with full cells in neatly dense arrangement and exhibiting clear membrane boundary. Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans inhibited the expression of SIRT 1 and FoxO3a in the hippocampus (P<0.05). ConclusionTo sum up, Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans may improve the behavior of schizophrenic mice by activating the SIRT1/FoxO3a signaling pathway to exert neuroprotective effects.
2.Risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and their relationship with BMI management
Xi CHEN ; Jing ZHANG ; Yang LIU
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2026;37(1):108-111
Objective To analyze the risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and explore their relationship with BMI management. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted of 310 patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent physical examinations at the 363 hospital between March 2023 and March 2025. Among these patients, those with MAFLD were counted. The risk factors of T2DM with MAFLD were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. The relationship between T2DM with MAFLD and BMI management was explored by Spearman correlation coefficient analysis. Results Compared with the non-MAFLD group, the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fasting insulin (I0), fasting blood glucose (G0), BMI, triglyceride (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and serum uric acid (SUA) were higher while the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was lower in the MAFLD group (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that BMI, SUA, I0, ALT, G0, and BMI control scale score were risk factors of T2DM with MAFLD (P<0.05). The score of BMI control scale of patients in the MAFLD group was higher than that in the non-MAFLD group (P<0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that T2DM with MAFLD was negatively correlated with BMI management (P<0.05). Conclusion BMI, SUA, I0, ALT, and G0 are all risk factors of T2DM with MAFLD. BMI management is negatively correlated with T2DM with MAFLD. Patients with T2DM should control BMI and blood glucose to reduce the occurrence of MAFLD.
3.Effect of Huangling Jidu Xizhuo Granules on NLRP3, Intestinal Flora and Short-term Prognosis in Patients with Gout
Dandan TIAN ; Shanping WANG ; Li YANG ; Tingting ZHANG ; Xi CHEN ; Chuanbing HUANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):150-156
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of retention enema with Huangling Jiedu Xiezhuo granules(HJXG) on Nod-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3), intestinal flora, and short-term prognosis in patients with gout. MethodsA total of 60 patients with gout admitted to the hospital from January 2021 to December 2023 were selected and divided into a control group and an observation group according to the random number table method, with 30 cases in each group. The control group was treated with febuxostat, and the observation group was treated with retention enema with HJXG on the basis of the control group. After 14 days of continuous treatment, the clinical efficacy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score, and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain index of the two groups were compared, and serum creatinine(SCr), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), uric acid(UA), cystatin C(CysC), β2- microglobulin(β2-MG), glomerular filtration rate test(GFR), creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), hypersensitive C-reactive protein,(hs-CRP), interleukin 6(IL-6), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-18 (IL-18), NLRP3 inflammasome levels, and the number of intestinal flora were detected in the two groups. The prognosis of patients was followed up within 12 weeks. COX regression analysis was used to analyze the effect of short-term prognosis. ResultsAfter treatment, TCM syndrome scores and VAS pain index in both groups were reduced (P<0.05), and TCM syndrome scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group. After treatment, ESR, hs-CRP, IL-6, NLRP3, IL-18, and IL-1β were significantly decreased in both groups (P<0.01), and the levels of IL-6, ESR, NLRP3, and IL-18 were significantly improved in the observation group compared with the control group (P<0.05). BUN, SCr, UA, β2-MG, GFR indexes in both groups were significantly lower after treatment, Ccr indexes in both groups were significantly higher after treatment, and the levels of SCr, UA, CysC, and Ccr in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the intestinal flora in both groups was improved, and the observation group was significantly improved compared with the control group in terms of Lactobacillus, Proteus, Bacteroides, and Escherichia coli (P<0.05). COX regression analysis showed that retention enema with HJXG could reduce the risk of poor short-term prognosis in patients with gout compared with Western medicine alone. ConclusionThe retention enema with HJXG can improve the curative effect of patients with gout, improve the TCM syndromes, reduce inflammation, and enhance renal function, intestinal flora, and short-term prognosis.
4.Principles, technical specifications, and clinical application of lung watershed topography map 2.0: A thoracic surgery expert consensus (2024 version)
Wenzhao ZHONG ; Fan YANG ; Jian HU ; Fengwei TAN ; Xuening YANG ; Qiang PU ; Wei JIANG ; Deping ZHAO ; Hecheng LI ; Xiaolong YAN ; Lijie TAN ; Junqiang FAN ; Guibin QIAO ; Qiang NIE ; Mingqiang KANG ; Weibing WU ; Hao ZHANG ; Zhigang LI ; Zihao CHEN ; Shugeng GAO ; Yilong WU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(02):141-152
With the widespread adoption of low-dose CT screening and the extensive application of high-resolution CT, the detection rate of sub-centimeter lung nodules has significantly increased. How to scientifically manage these nodules while avoiding overtreatment and diagnostic delays has become an important clinical issue. Among them, lung nodules with a consolidation tumor ratio less than 0.25, dominated by ground-glass shadows, are particularly worthy of attention. The therapeutic challenge for this group is how to achieve precise and complete resection of nodules during surgery while maximizing the preservation of the patient's lung function. The "watershed topography map" is a new technology based on big data and artificial intelligence algorithms. This method uses Dicom data from conventional dose CT scans, combined with microscopic (22-24 levels) capillary network anatomical watershed features, to generate high-precision simulated natural segmentation planes of lung sub-segments through specific textures and forms. This technology forms fluorescent watershed boundaries on the lung surface, which highly fit the actual lung anatomical structure. By analyzing the adjacent relationship between the nodule and the watershed boundary, real-time, visually accurate positioning of the nodule can be achieved. This innovative technology provides a new solution for the intraoperative positioning and resection of lung nodules. This consensus was led by four major domestic societies, jointly with expert teams in related fields, oriented to clinical practical needs, referring to domestic and foreign guidelines and consensus, and finally formed after multiple rounds of consultation, discussion, and voting. The main content covers the theoretical basis of the "watershed topography map" technology, indications, operation procedures, surgical planning details, and postoperative evaluation standards, aiming to provide scientific guidance and exploration directions for clinical peers who are currently or plan to carry out lung nodule resection using the fluorescent microscope watershed analysis method.
5.NAD+ Ameliorates Endothelial Dysfunction in Hypertension via Activation of SIRT3/IDH2 Signal Pathway
Yumin QIU ; Xi CHEN ; Jianning ZHANG ; Zhangchi LIU ; Qiuxia ZHU ; Meixin ZHANG ; Jun TAO ; Xing WU
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2025;46(1):70-80
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide on vascular endothelial injury in hypertension and its molecular mechanism. MethodsC57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into saline group (Saline) and hypertension group (Ang Ⅱ, which were infused with Ang Ⅱ via subcutaneously implanted osmotic pumps), and supplemented daily with nicotinamide mononucleotide (300 mg/kg), a precursor of NAD+. Blood pressure, endothelial relaxation function and pulse wave velocity were measured after 4 weeks. Wound healing assay and adhesion assay were used to evaluate the function of endothelial cells in vitro. mtROS levels were detected by immunofluorescence staining. RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of mtDNA, SIRT3 and isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2). 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein expression levels of p-eNOS, eNOS, SIRT3 and IDH2 were detected by Western blot. ResultsNMN supplementation reduced blood pressure (P<0.001) and improved endothelial function and arterial stiffness (P<0.001) in hypertensive mice. In vitro, NMN improved endothelial function in AngII-stimulated endothelial cells (P<0.05) and attenuated mitochondrial oxidative stress levels (P<0.001). Mechanistically, NMN elevated SIRT3 activity (P<0.001), which subsequently enhanced IDH activity (P<0.001) and reduced oxidative stress levels in endothelial cells. Conversely, knockdown of IDH2 would reverse the effect of SIRT3 in improving endothelial function (P<0.001). ConclusionNAD+ lowers blood pressure and enhances vascular function in hypertension by reducing the level of oxidative stress in endothelial cells through activation of the SIRT3/IDH2 signal pathway.
6.Efficacy Evaluation of Initial Double Filtration Plasmapheresis in NMOSD with Respiratory Insufficiency
Sai ZHANG ; Xi CHEN ; Tao ZENG
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2025;46(1):154-160
ObjectiveTo discuss the clinical manifestations and image features of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD)with respiratory insufficiency. We present a retrospective review about the use of double filtration plasmapheresis in the treatment of the acute attack of NMOSD in these patients. MethodsAll of our patients with central respiratory insufficiency who suffered attacks of NMOSD were retrospectively considered for inclusion. Extended Disability Status Scale(EDSS)scores were compared within six months after double membrane filtration plasma exchange. ResultsThe clinical data of the six patients included were analyzed. Magnetic Resonance Imaging confirmed that the demyelinating plaques in our patients could involve the medulla oblongata and upper spinal cord. They were managed by plasma exchange given as an initial therapy. The clinical symptoms improved significantly and the patients were successfully withdrawn from the ventilator,with EDSS scores significantly reduced (P<0.001). ConclusionDemyelination of medulla oblongata and upper spinal cord in NMOSD may lead to acute life-threatening respiratory compromise, and early initiation of double filtration plasmapheresis can be a safe and effective treatment.
7.Risk assessment of human Spirometra mansoni infections and cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitude and practice towards sparganosis in endemic areas of Henan Province
Yalan ZHANG ; Tiantian JIANG ; Xiaohui MA ; Yan DENG ; Weiqi CHEN ; Yankun ZHU ; Zhenqiang TANG ; Xi-meng LIN ; Hongwei ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2025;37(2):190-195
Objective To assess the risk of human Spirometra mansoni infections and investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards sparganosis mansoni among residents in Henan Province, so as to provide insights into formulation of the sparganosis mansoni control measures. Methods Qinling Village in Fugou County of Zhoukou City, Bali Village in Yancheng District of Luohe City, Duzhai Village in Puyang County of Puyang City and Doushan Village in Luoshan County of Xinyang City were sampled as survey sites in Henan Province from July to August 2023, and more than 40 frogs were sampled from ponds or streams in each survey site for detection of Sparganum mansoni infections. At least 150 residents were sampled using a cluster sampling method from each survey site, and the sero-prevalence of anti-S. mansoni IgG antibody was estimated. In addition, a questionnaire survey was conducted on the KAP towards sparganosis mansoni among participants, and the proportion of eligible KAP, rate of correct KAP and KAP scores were calculated. Results A total 229 frogs were collected from 4 survey sites in 2023, and the overall prevalence of S. mansoni infection was 4.37% (10/229) in frogs, with 7.75% (10/129) prevalence in wild frogs and 0 in farm-bred frogs. A questionnaire survey was performed among 649 residents sampled from 4 survey sites, and 649 serum samples were collected. The seroprevalence of anti-S.mansoni IgG antibody was 0.15% (1/649) and the overall proportion of eligible KAP was 23.73% (154/649) among participants. There were age- (χ2 = 30.905, P = 0.000), educational level- (χ2 = 41.011, P = 0.000), and occupation-specific proportions of eligible KAP among participants (χ2 = 10.721, P = 0.005), and the proportion of eligible KAP decreased with age (χ2 trend = 22.717, P = 0.000) and increased with education levels (χ2 trend = 40.025, P = 0.000). The rates of correct KAP towards sparganosis mansoni were 40.81% (2 119/5 192), 96.66% (1 882/1 947) and 63.81% (3 727/5 841) (χ2 = 1 913.731, P = 0.000) among residents, respectively. The rates of correct KAP towards sparganosis mansoni varied significantly among survey sites (χ2 = 136.872, 42.347 and 255.157; all P values= 0.000, with the highest rate of correct knowledge (51.94%, 748/1 440) and practices (75.86%, 1 229/1 620) in Yancheng District of Luohe City and the highest rate of correct attitudes in Puyang County of Puyang City (99.11%, 446/450) (all P values< 0.05). Conclusions There is still a high transmission risk of sparganosis mansoni in Henan Province, and the KAP towards sparganosis mansoni is required to be improved among residents.
8.Mechanical stability of intertrochanteric fracture of femur with different internal fixation systems
Xi CHEN ; Tao TANG ; Tongbing CHEN ; Qing LI ; Wen ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(9):1783-1788
BACKGROUND:Intertrochanteric fracture of femur has various fracture types and fixation methods,and the mechanical stability of each fixation system is quite different.It is of scientific clinical significance to use finite element analysis method to carry out biomechanical research on various fixation systems. OBJECTIVE:To compare and analyze the mechanical stability of various internal fixations applied to femoral intertrochanteric fracture A031-A2.1 by finite element method. METHODS:Based on the validated finite element model of femur(Intact),the model was cut and made into A031-A2.1 intertrochanteric fracture of femur.Different internal fixation systems were implanted by simulating clinical operation methods,and fixation models of proximal femoral nail antirotation,dynamic hip screw,percutaneous compression plate and proximal femoral locking plate were established respectively.All nodes under the distal femur of the four groups of models were constrained,and compression loads of 700,1 400 and 2 100 N were applied to the femoral head.Von Mises stress distribution and compression stiffness of each group of models were observed through calculation and analysis,and mechanical stability of each group was compared. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Through calculation and analysis,after calculating the compression stiffness by comparing the deformation of each model,the compression stiffness of each model under various loads showed the trend:physiological group>proximal femoral nail antirotation group>proximal femoral locking plate group>percutaneous compression plate group>dynamic hip screw group.The compressive stiffness of the complete physiological group model was significantly higher than that of all surgical group models.(2)The stress index was observed.Due to the stress shielding effect,the stress peak value of each fixed group was higher than that of physiological group,and the maximum peak value was concentrated on each internal fixation.Proximal femoral nail antirotation group had the smallest stress peak,while dynamic hip screw group had the highest stress.The stress distribution trend showed physiological group
9.Comparison of small-sample multi-class machine learning models for plasma concentration prediction of valproic acid
Xi CHEN ; Shen’ao YUAN ; Hailing YUAN ; Jie ZHAO ; Peng CHEN ; Chunyan TIAN ; Yi SU ; Yunsong ZHANG ; Yu ZHANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(11):1399-1404
OBJECTIVE To construct three-class (insufficient, normal, excessive) and two-class (insufficient, normal) models for predicting plasma concentration of valproic acid (VPA), and compare the performance of these two models, with the aim of providing a reference for formulating clinical medication strategies. METHODS The clinical data of 480 patients who received VPA treatment and underwent blood concentration test at the Xi’an International Medical Center Hospital were collected from November 2022 to September 2024 (a total of 695 sets of data). In this study, predictive models were constructed for target variables of three-class and two-class models. Feature ranking and selection were carried out using XGBoost scores. Twelve different machine learning algorithms were used for training and validation, and the performance of the models was evaluated using three indexes: accuracy, F1 score, and the area under the working characteristic curve of the subject (AUC). RESULTS XGBoost feature importance scores revealed that in the three-class model, the importance ranking of kidney disease and electrolyte disorders was higher. However, in the two-class model, the importance ranking of these features significantly decreased, suggesting a close association with the excessive blood concentration of VPA. In the three-class model, Random Forest method performed best, with F1 score of 0.704 0 and AUC of 0.519 3 on the test set; while in the two-class model, CatBoost method performed optimally, with F1 score of 0.785 7 and AUC of 0.819 5 on the test set. CONCLUSIONS The constructed three-class model has the ability to predict excessive VPA blood concentration, but its prediction and model generalization abilities are poor; the constructed two-class model can only perform classification prediction for insufficient and normal blood concentration cases, but its model performance is stronger.
10.Effects of miR-204-3p inhibitor on epithelial-mesenchymal transition and silicosis fibrosis in silicon dioxide-induced alveolar epithelial cells
Fang CHEN ; Jing YU ; Wenxuan HU ; Yangyang PI ; Xi ZHANG ; Luning WANG ; Ping ZHAO ; Faxuan WANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(5):622-629
Background The pathogenesis of silicosis has not been fully elucidated, and microRNAs (miRNA) may be involved in the occurrence and development of silicosis. Objective To investigate the effect of miR-204-3p inhibitor on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and silicosis fibrosis in silicon dioxide dust-induced alveolar epithelial cells. Methods A co-culture model of macrophages and epithelial cells was established using a Transwell chamber. NR8383 macrophages were seeded into the upper chamber of the Transwell, and RLE-6TN cells were seeded into the lower chamber. After 24 h of culture, the medium in the lower chamber was discarded, washed three times with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and replaced with serum-free medium. The cells were divided into four groups: control group, silicosis group, miRNA NC group, and miR-204-3p inhibitor group. The lower chamber was transfected with miRNA NC for the miRNA NC group or the miR-204-3p inhibitor for the miR-204-3p inhibitor group. The lower chambers of the remaining two groups were added by equal amounts of serum-free medium. After 24 h, except for the control group that received an equal volume of serum-free medium, the upper chambers of the remaining three groups were treated with 800 μg·mL−1 silicon dioxide dust. Morphological changes in each group were observed under a microscope. The mRNA and protein expression levels of EMT-related factors, including α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), Vimentin, N-Cadherin, and E-Cadherin, were detected by reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot. The mRNA and protein expression levels of fibrosis-related factors, including Collagen I, Collagen III, and Fibronectin, were also assessed by RT-qPCR and Western blot. The fluorescence expression intensities of α-SMA, N-Cadherin, and E-Cadherin were evaluated by immunofluorescence. Results The morphological observation revealed that RLE-6TN cells in the control group exhibited a regular oval shape. After treatment with silicon dioxide, the cells predominantly displayed a long spindle shape. Following the intervention with the miR-204-3p inhibitor, the number of long spindle-shaped cells increased, and the intercellular gaps widened. The RT-qPCR results showed that, compared with the control group, the silicosis group exhibited significantly higher relative mRNA expression levels of EMT-related markers (α-SMA, Vimentin, and N-Cadherin) (P<0.05), while the relative mRNA expression level of E-Cadherin was significantly reduced (P<0.05); the relative mRNA expression levels of fibrosis-related markers (Collagen I, Collagen III, and Fibronectin) were also significantly elevated (P<0.05). Compared with the miRNA NC group, the miR-204-3p inhibitor group showed significantly increased relative mRNA expression levels of α-SMA, Vimentin, and N-Cadherin (P<0.05), decreased E-Cadherin mPNA expression (P<0.05), and elevated mPNA expression of Collagen I, Collagen III, and Fibronectin (P<0.05). The Western blot analysis indicated that, compared with the control group, the silicosis group had significantly higher protein expression levels of α-SMA, Vimentin, and N-Cadherin (P<0.05), lower E-Cadherin protein expression (P<0.05), and increased protein expression of Collagen I, Collagen III, and Fibronectin (P<0.05). Compared with the miRNA NC group, the miR-204-3p inhibitor group exhibited significantly elevated protein expression levels of α-SMA, Vimentin, and N-Cadherin (P<0.05), reduced E-Cadherin expression (P<0.05), and increased protein expression of Collagen I, Collagen III, and Fibronectin (P<0.05). The immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that, compared with the control group, the silicosis group showed enhanced fluorescence intensities of α-SMA and N-Cadherin and reduced fluorescence intensity of E-Cadherin. Compared with the miRNA NC group, the miR-204-3p inhibitor group exhibited increased fluorescence intensities of α-SMA and N-Cadherin and decreased fluorescence intensity of E-Cadherin. Conclusion The miR-204-3p inhibitor may exacerbate the EMT process and silicosis fibrosis in silicon dioxide-induced RLE-6TN cells. miR-204-3p plays a negative regulatory role in silicosis fibrosis.


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