1.Clinical Observation on Prevention of Recurrence of Common Bile Duct Stones After ERCP with Yuyin Lidan Granules
Xiao WANG ; Yong FANG ; Cong HE ; Jiali ZHANG ; Meng YU ; Jing KONG ; Yi JIANG ; Chuanqi CHENG ; Xiaosu WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):159-166
ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Yuyin Lidan granules (YYLD) in preventing the recurrence of common bile duct stones (CBDS) in patients with liver and gallbladder dampness-heat syndrome following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). MethodsThis randomized, parallel, controlled trial enrolled postoperative CBDS-ERCP patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sixty-four patients were randomly assigned to an observation group or a control group, with 32 cases in each. Both groups received conventional Western medical treatment after ERCP, while the observation group additionally received YYLD for 8 weeks. The follow-up period lasted for 1 year. The efficacy indicators included bile bilirubin levels, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, clinical efficacy rate, pancreatitis and inflammation markers, postoperative liver function, and CBDS recurrence rate at 1-year follow-up, which were used to jointly evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of both groups. ResultsA total of 56 patients completed the study and were included in the final analysis, i.e., 29 in the observation group and 27 in the control group. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups. Compared with pre-treatment and with the control group after treatment, the bile bilirubin level in the observation group significantly decreased (P<0.05). After treatment, the clinical cure and marked improvement rates were higher in the observation group than in the control group, showing a statistically significant difference in overall clinical efficacy (P<0.05). Compared with pre-treatment, the primary and secondary symptoms in the observation group, as well as the primary symptom and the secondary symptom of nausea and vomiting in the control group (weeks 4 and 8), were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Compared with the control group after treatment, the observation group showed significant reductions in the primary symptom of loose stools/constipation (day 5 and week 4) and in three secondary symptoms, i.e., bitter taste and sticky dry mouth, abdominal distension and poor appetite (throughout the treatment period), and general heaviness and fatigue (day 5 and week 4), with statistical differences (P<0.05). Compared with pre-treatment, both groups showed decreased lipase and urinary amylase levels (P<0.05). However, no significant between-group differences were observed in pancreatitis or inflammation-related indices after treatment. Compared with pre-treatment, all liver function indicators in the observation group and alanine aminotransferase ( ALT ), γ-glutamyl transferase ( γ-GT ), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and conjugated bilirubin in the control group significantly decreased at weeks 4 and 8 (P<0.05). Compared with the control group after treatment, only serum total bilirubin and unconjugated bilirubin were significantly reduced in the observation group during the treatment period (P<0.05). ConclusionYYLD combined with conventional Western medical treatment can effectively regulate bilirubin metabolism (in bile and serum), improve TCM clinical symptoms, and prevent CBDS recurrence after ERCP in patients with liver and gallbladder dampness-heat syndrome. This regimen is safe and effective and is worthy of further clinical research and promotion.
2.Construction of Saikosaponin D Multifunctional Liposomes and Evaluation of Its Anti-liver Cancer Efficacy and Targeting
Kun YU ; Guochun YANG ; Yaliang JIANG ; Yunting XIAO ; Congxian WANG ; Qionge SUN ; Ziyue LI ; Yikun SHANG ; Yu MAO ; Xin CHENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(9):205-216
ObjectiveTo construct a multifunctional liposomal delivery system by replacing cholesterol(Chol) in conventional liposomes with saikosaponin D(SSD) and modifying with poloxamer 407(P407) for co-delivery of curcumin(Cur). The system was evaluated for in vivo tumor targeting and inhibitory effects on mouse subcutaneous solid tumors. MethodsSingle-factor and orthogonal tests combined with information entropy weighting were used to optimize the formulation process of the liposome with encapsulation efficiency and absolute Zeta potential as indexes, and validation studies and liposomal characterization were performed. A subcutaneous solid tumor model was established by injecting H22 hepatocellular carcinoma cells subcutaneously into the dorsal surface of the right forelimb of mice. DiR-loaded traditional Chol liposomes(P407-DiR-Chol-LPs, PDCL) and novel SSD-based liposomes(P407-DiR-SSD-LPs, PDSL) were prepared by the optimized formulation process, and tail vein injection was performed to investigate the impact of SSD on liposome tumor targeting with small animal in vivo imaging. Mice were randomly divided into eight groups, including blank group, model group, free doxorubicin(DOX) group(2 mg·kg-1), free Cur group(8 mg·kg-1), free SSD group(10 mg·kg-1), P407-Cur-Chol-LPs(PCCL) group, P407-SSD-LPs(PSL) group, and P407-Cur-SSD-Lps(PCSL) group. Treatments were administered intraperitoneally every other day for seven doses. Antitumor efficacy and biocompatibility were evaluated by monitoring body weight change, organ indices, tumor volume and mass, relative tumor proliferation rate(T/C), and tumor growth inhibition rate(TGI). Histopathological analysis of liver, kidney, and tumor tissues was performed using hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), and creatinine(Crea)in mice were quantified by fully automated biochemical analyzer. ResultsOrthogonal test yielded optimal ratios of Cur, SSD, and P407 to soybean phosphatidylcholine(SPC) as 1∶25, 1∶20, and 1∶4. The optimized PCSL exhibited spherical morphology with a particle size of 179.15 nm, a Zeta potential of -47.25 mV, and an encapsulation efficiency of 96.40%. Its in vitro release profile conformed to first-order kinetics, demonstrating excellent storage stability and hemocompatibility. In vivo imaging revealed that the fluorescence signal in tumor tissues and the fluorescence intensity ratio between tumors and organs were significantly higher in the PDSL group than in the PDCL group(P<0.05, P<0.01). Among the treatment groups, PCSL group showed superior efficacy over free Cur group, free SSD group, PCCL group, and PSL group, with TGI>40% and T/C<60%, indicating pronounced anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects(P<0.05, P<0.01). Histopathology and serum biochemistry indicated minimal hepatorenal toxicity and improved hepatic and renal function in PCSL-treated mice. ConclusionReplacing Chol with SSD in preparing multifunctional drug delivery systems not only stabilizes liposomes but also yields superior anti-hepatocellular carcinoma efficacy, achieving the effect of drug-excipient integration. Co-delivery of Cur via this system can be used for treating subcutaneous solid tumors in hepatocellular carcinoma, providing new insights and technical approaches for anti-hepatocellular carcinoma research and the meridian-guiding and messenger-directing theory in traditional Chinese medicine.
3.Spatiotemporal Electrical Impedance Tomography for Speech Respiratory Assessment in Cleft Palate: an Interpretable Machine Learning Study
Yang WU ; Xiao-Jing ZHANG ; Hao YU ; Cheng-Hui JIANG ; Bo SUN ; Jia-Feng YAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):485-500
ObjectiveCleft palate (CP) is a common congenital deformity often associated with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), which disrupts the physiological coupling between respiration and speech. Conventional clinical assessments, such as nasometry and spirometry, provide limited static data and fail to visualize the dynamic spatiotemporal distribution of lung ventilation during phonation. This study introduces spatiotemporal electrical impedance tomography (ST-EIT) to evaluate speech-respiratory functional features in CP patients compared to normal controls (NC). The aim is to characterize multi-domain respiratory patterns and to validate an interpretable machine learning framework for providing objective, quantitative evidence for clinical assessment. MethodsSeventy-five participants were enrolled in this study, comprising 37 patients with surgically repaired CP and 38 healthy volunteers matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). All subjects performed standardized sustained phonation tasks while undergoing synchronous monitoring with a 16-electrode EIT system and a pneumotachograph. A comprehensive feature engineering pipeline was developed to extract physiological parameters across 3 complementary domains. (1) Temporal domain: including inspiratory/expiratory phase duration (tPhase), time constants (Tau), and inspiratory-to-expiratory time ratios (TI/TE); (2) airflow domain: comprising mean flow, peak flow, and instantaneous flow at 25%, 50%, and 75% of tidal volume; and (3) spatial domain: quantifying global and regional tidal impedance variation (TIV), global inhomogeneity (GI), and center of ventilation (CoV). Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) classifiers were trained using 5 distinct data sources (Spirometry, Nasometry, Inspiratory-EIT, Expiratory-EIT, and fused ST-EIT). Model performance was rigorously evaluated via stratified 5-fold cross-validation, and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were employed to quantify global and local feature contributions. ResultsThe CP group exhibited a distinct respiratory phenotype compared to controls. In the temporal domain, CP patients showed significantly shorter inspiratory (1.60 s vs.1.85 s, P<0.001) and expiratory phase durations (2.45 s vs. 3.95 s, P<0.001), indicating a rapid, shallow breathing rhythm. In the airflow domain, while inspiratory flows were comparable, the CP group demonstrated significantly elevated mean and peak flows during the expiratory phase (P<0.001), reflecting compensatory respiratory effort. Spatially, CP patients presented significant ventilation redistribution, characterized by higher regional TIV in the right-anterior (ROI1) and left-posterior (ROI4) quadrants, but lower TIV in the left-anterior (ROI2) quadrant. In terms of diagnostic accuracy, the multi-modal ST-EIT model achieved the highest performance (AUC: 0.915±0.012, Accuracy: 0.843±0.019, F1-score: 0.872±0.017), substantially outperforming models based on spirometry (AUC: 0.721) or nasometry (AUC: 0.625) alone. Interpretability analysis revealed that spatial domain features were the most critical, contributing 53.4% to the model’s decision-making, followed by temporal (25.0%) and airflow (21.6%) features. ConclusionST-EIT successfully captures the temporal, airflow, and spatial deviations in CP speech respiration that are undetectable by conventional methods—specifically, rapid phase transitions, hyperdynamic expiratory airflow, and regional ventilation heterogeneity. This study validates ST-EIT as a robust, non-invasive, and radiation-free tool for characterizing speech-respiratory dysfunction, offering high clinical value for bedside screening, rehabilitation planning, and longitudinal monitoring of patients with cleft palate.
4.Spatiotemporal Electrical Impedance Tomography for Speech Respiratory Assessment in Cleft Palate: an Interpretable Machine Learning Study
Yang WU ; Xiao-Jing ZHANG ; Hao YU ; Cheng-Hui JIANG ; Bo SUN ; Jia-Feng YAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):485-500
ObjectiveCleft palate (CP) is a common congenital deformity often associated with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), which disrupts the physiological coupling between respiration and speech. Conventional clinical assessments, such as nasometry and spirometry, provide limited static data and fail to visualize the dynamic spatiotemporal distribution of lung ventilation during phonation. This study introduces spatiotemporal electrical impedance tomography (ST-EIT) to evaluate speech-respiratory functional features in CP patients compared to normal controls (NC). The aim is to characterize multi-domain respiratory patterns and to validate an interpretable machine learning framework for providing objective, quantitative evidence for clinical assessment. MethodsSeventy-five participants were enrolled in this study, comprising 37 patients with surgically repaired CP and 38 healthy volunteers matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). All subjects performed standardized sustained phonation tasks while undergoing synchronous monitoring with a 16-electrode EIT system and a pneumotachograph. A comprehensive feature engineering pipeline was developed to extract physiological parameters across 3 complementary domains. (1) Temporal domain: including inspiratory/expiratory phase duration (tPhase), time constants (Tau), and inspiratory-to-expiratory time ratios (TI/TE); (2) airflow domain: comprising mean flow, peak flow, and instantaneous flow at 25%, 50%, and 75% of tidal volume; and (3) spatial domain: quantifying global and regional tidal impedance variation (TIV), global inhomogeneity (GI), and center of ventilation (CoV). Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) classifiers were trained using 5 distinct data sources (Spirometry, Nasometry, Inspiratory-EIT, Expiratory-EIT, and fused ST-EIT). Model performance was rigorously evaluated via stratified 5-fold cross-validation, and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were employed to quantify global and local feature contributions. ResultsThe CP group exhibited a distinct respiratory phenotype compared to controls. In the temporal domain, CP patients showed significantly shorter inspiratory (1.60 s vs.1.85 s, P<0.001) and expiratory phase durations (2.45 s vs. 3.95 s, P<0.001), indicating a rapid, shallow breathing rhythm. In the airflow domain, while inspiratory flows were comparable, the CP group demonstrated significantly elevated mean and peak flows during the expiratory phase (P<0.001), reflecting compensatory respiratory effort. Spatially, CP patients presented significant ventilation redistribution, characterized by higher regional TIV in the right-anterior (ROI1) and left-posterior (ROI4) quadrants, but lower TIV in the left-anterior (ROI2) quadrant. In terms of diagnostic accuracy, the multi-modal ST-EIT model achieved the highest performance (AUC: 0.915±0.012, Accuracy: 0.843±0.019, F1-score: 0.872±0.017), substantially outperforming models based on spirometry (AUC: 0.721) or nasometry (AUC: 0.625) alone. Interpretability analysis revealed that spatial domain features were the most critical, contributing 53.4% to the model’s decision-making, followed by temporal (25.0%) and airflow (21.6%) features. ConclusionST-EIT successfully captures the temporal, airflow, and spatial deviations in CP speech respiration that are undetectable by conventional methods—specifically, rapid phase transitions, hyperdynamic expiratory airflow, and regional ventilation heterogeneity. This study validates ST-EIT as a robust, non-invasive, and radiation-free tool for characterizing speech-respiratory dysfunction, offering high clinical value for bedside screening, rehabilitation planning, and longitudinal monitoring of patients with cleft palate.
5.The Role of FASN in Tumors and Its Targeted Therapy
Wen-Jing JIANG ; Ruo-Xi ZHANG ; Yu-Qing TAI ; Ya-Wen SUN ; Xi-Yu ZHANG ; Xiao LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):920-935
Malignant tumors represent a major threat to global health. Conventional anti-tumor pharmacotherapy often encounters challenges such as drug resistance, highlighting an urgent need for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Fatty acid synthase (FASN), the key enzyme catalyzing de novo fatty acid synthesis, is subject to precise regulation at multiple levels, including transcriptional control, various post-translational modifications such as ubiquitination and phosphorylation, as well as modulation by diverse signaling pathways. Recent studies have revealed that FASN is aberrantly overexpressed in various malignant tumors and is closely associated with tumor progression and poor patient prognosis. FASN is a homodimer composed of seven functional domains that catalyzes the NADPH-dependent condensation of acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA to generate saturated fatty acids, primarily palmitic acid. Its stability is regulated by multiple ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinating enzymes. Additionally, FASN is subject to upstream regulation via neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated 8 (Nedd8) modification and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, thereby establishing a metabolic-signaling positive feedback loop. As a core executor of metabolic reprogramming, FASN promotes tumorigenesis through dual mechanisms. First, its fatty acid synthesis product, palmitate, participates in membrane phospholipid synthesis, lipid raft formation, and protein palmitoylation, thereby activating several key oncogenic signaling pathways, including PI3K/AKT/mTOR, wingless-type MMTV integration site family member (Wnt)/β‑catenin, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)/matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), leading to tumor development and progression. Second, FASN plays a pivotal role in modulating the anti-tumor functions of immune cells and remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment. Specifically, FASN enhances immune checkpoint inhibition by inducing programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) palmitoylation, suppresses the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, and promotes the polarization of M2-type macrophages, consequently facilitating tumor immune evasion and malignant progression. Precisely due to its significant overexpression in tumor cells, its critical functional role, and its differential expression compared to normal cells, FASN has emerged as a highly promising target for anti-tumor drug development. Highly selective small-molecule inhibitors, notably represented by TVB-2640, have advanced to clinical trial stages and demonstrated favorable anti-tumor activity. Furthermore, the combination of FASN inhibitors with other chemotherapeutic agents or targeted drugs can overcome the limitations of monotherapy through synergistic effects or by resensitizing tumor cells to conventional drugs, achieving a “1+1>2” therapeutic outcome. With the advancement of modern traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), numerous active ingredients derived from TCM have been confirmed to exert anti-tumor effects by modulating FASN-related pathways. This integrated approach leverages the precision of Western medicine while simultaneously harnessing the holistic regulatory benefits of TCM to alleviate the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite the promising prospects of FASN-targeted therapies, challenges remain, including tumor cell metabolic plasticity, tumor context-dependent responses, and heterogeneity. This review systematically summarizes the molecular structure, physiological functions, and mechanisms of FASN in tumorigenesis, as well as recent advances in targeted therapies. Future directions—including the precise identification of responsive patient populations using spatial transcriptomics, the development of novel combination regimens, and the active exploration of integrative strategies combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine—will facilitate the clinical translation of FASN-targeted therapies and open new avenues for improving the quality of life and prognosis of cancer patients.
6.Skeleton Binding Protein 1 of Plasmodium berghei Influences Deformability and Cytoskeletal Ultrastructure of Infected Erythrocyte
Xin-Yue GUO ; Huan-Qi ZHAO ; Yan-Xuan ZHONG ; Ru-Meng JIANG ; Yao-Xian LI ; Lei-Ting PAN ; Qian WANG ; Xiao-Yu SHI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):1015-1027
ObjectiveThe malaria parasites remodel the host erythrocyte structure by exporting parasite proteins that interact with the membrane skeleton proteins of red blood cells (RBCs), facilitating their intracellular survival and pathogenicity. Skeleton-binding protein 1 (SBP1) is a conserved exported protein across Plasmodium species. In Plasmodium falciparum, SBP1 has been reported to interact with erythrocyte membrane skeleton proteins 4.1R and spectrin, while its contribution to erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) remains unclear. This study aims to determine whether PbSBP1 associates with the host cytoskeletal protein 4.1R and to investigate its role in the remodeling of host RBCs and the pathogenicity of Plasmodium berghei. MethodsIn Plasmodium berghei, the relationship between PbSBP1 and the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R was examined using co-immunoprecipitation. A Pbsbp1 gene knockout mutant of Plasmodium berghei (Pbsbp1∆) was generated based on the principle of double crossover homologous recombination. The deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was assessed using microfluidic methods. Microchannels with an array of cylindrical pillars were used to detect modifications in infected RBC deformability. The infected RBCs were squashed between the rows and recovered between the columns and the transit velocity (μm/s) of infected RBCs travelling through the microchannel was recorded. The component of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton junctional complex, tropomodulin (TMOD), was fluorescently labeled, and the cytoskeletal network of infected erythrocytes was imaged using super-resolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) to analyze ultrastructural changes in the cytoskeleton of wild-type (WT) and Pbsbp1∆-infected erythrocytes. Actin-based junctional complexes were displayed as individual clusters by the labeled TMOD in the STORM images, and the cluster densities and distances between adjacent clusters of infected RBCs were calculated. Additionally, rodent malaria models (BALB/c mice) and experimental cerebral malaria models (C57BL/6 mice) were employed to monitor the growth of Pbsbp1∆ and WT parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage and their capacity to induce cerebral malaria in mice. ResultsPbSBP1 may participate in the remodeling of infected erythrocytes through direct or indirect interaction with the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R. Microfluidic assays revealed that the deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was significantly enhanced compared to those infected with WT parasites. STORM imaging further demonstrated that the ultrastructure of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton in Pbsbp1∆-infected cells was altered relative to that in WT-infected erythrocytes. The distances between nearest neighbors of clusters had a tendency to increase while the cluster densities were decreased in Pbsbp1∆-infected RBCs compared to WT-infected RBCs. Subsequent phenotypic analysis indicated that the growth rate of Pbsbp1∆ parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage was significantly slower than that of WT parasites, and their ability to induce cerebral malaria in mice was also attenuated. These findings suggest that PbSBP1 is involved in the remodeling of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton, likely through its direct or indirect interaction with protein 4.1R, thereby regulating the deformability of infected erythrocytes and influencing the pathogenicity of the blood-stage parasites. ConclusionThis study establishes a role for PbSBP1 in host erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence, providing new research strategies for the prevention and treatment of malaria.
7.Disease-syndrome Combination Animal Models in Andrology of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review and Prospects
Jigang CAO ; Jianxiong LIU ; Min XIAO ; Xiaocui JIANG ; Aidi LIANG ; Xingyu JIANG ; Yanyan ZHOU ; Xiaoming YU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(13):303-314
The disease-syndrome combination animal model in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) andrology serves as an important bridge linking TCM theory with modern medical research, providing a key experimental platform for elucidating the 'syndrome-disease' correlation mechanism in male-specific diseases and for screening effective prescriptions. This article reviews recent progress in animal model research on common TCM andrological diseases, including prostatic diseases, sexual dysfunction, and male infertility, with a focus on analyzing the application, advantages, and disadvantages of various modeling strategies, such as immune induction, hormonal intervention, and multi-factor combination across different syndrome types. However, despite breakthroughs in model construction techniques, current research still faces several challenges, including insufficient standardization of syndrome differentiation and difficulties in quantifying TCM-specific indicators. Future studies need to optimize model evaluation systems by integrating modern technologies, in order to promote the standardization and internationalization of TCM andrology research.
8.Effect of Zuoguiwan on Development of Skin Barrier in Neonatal Rat Model of Congenital Kidney Deficiency Based on Intercellular Connections
He YU ; Min XIAO ; Xiaocui JIANG ; Min ZHAO ; Yinjuan LYU ; Jian GONG ; Jigang CAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(13):11-18
ObjectiveTo study the effect of Zuoguiwan on the development of skin barrier in the neonatal rat model of congenital kidney deficiency and unveil the underlying mechanism. MethodsSixty rats were paired in a female-to-male ratio of 2∶1, and the pregnant rats were assigned into control, congenital kidney deficiency, and low- and high-dose (2 and 8 g·kg-1, respectively) Zuoguiwan groups. The pregnant rats in other groups except the control group were exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress for the modeling of congenital kidney deficiency. The rats in the control group and congenital kidney deficiency group were administrated with normal saline by gavage, and those in Zuoguiwan groups with Zuoguiwan suspension by gavage from day 1 of pregnancy. The serum level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the neonatal rats on the day of birth was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The full-thickness skin of neonatal rats on the day of birth was removed from the same position on the back and stained with hematoxylin-eosin for observation of histopathological changes, measurement of skin thickness, and counting of hair follicles. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling was used to detect the apoptosis of skin tissue cells. The expression of interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) in the skin tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, and the expression of occludin, connexin 43 (Cx43), and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in the skin tissue was assessed by immunofluorescence and Western blot. ResultsCompared with those in the control group, the neonatal rats in the congenital kidney deficiency group showed a rise in the serum IL-6 level (P<0.01), decreases in stratum corneum thickness, skin thickness, and number of hair follicles (P<0.01), increases in the expression of IL-6R and IL-17A in the skin tissue (P<0.01) and the number of apoptotic cells (P<0.01), and decreases in the expression of occludin, Cx43, ZO-1 (P<0.05). Compared with the congenital kidney deficiency group, the low- and high-dose Zuoguiwan groups showed declines in serum IL-6 level (P<0.05). The low-dose group showed increased number of hair follicles (P<0.05), and the high-dose group presented thickened stratum corneum (P<0.01), increased number of hair follicles (P<0.01), and down-regulated expression of IL-6R and IL-17A in the skin tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). Both Zuoguiwan groups showcased decreased number of apoptotic cells (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the high-dose group showed up-regulated expression of occludin, Cx43, and ZO-1 in the skin tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionZuoguiwan can reduce the levels of IL-6 in the serum and IL-6R and IL-17A in the skin tissue and improve the expression of intercellular junction proteins, thereby ameliorating the abnormal development of the skin barrier in the neonatal rat model of congenital kidney deficiency.
9.Effect of Zuoguiwan on Development of Skin Barrier in Neonatal Rat Model of Congenital Kidney Deficiency Based on Intercellular Connections
He YU ; Min XIAO ; Xiaocui JIANG ; Min ZHAO ; Yinjuan LYU ; Jian GONG ; Jigang CAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(13):11-18
ObjectiveTo study the effect of Zuoguiwan on the development of skin barrier in the neonatal rat model of congenital kidney deficiency and unveil the underlying mechanism. MethodsSixty rats were paired in a female-to-male ratio of 2∶1, and the pregnant rats were assigned into control, congenital kidney deficiency, and low- and high-dose (2 and 8 g·kg-1, respectively) Zuoguiwan groups. The pregnant rats in other groups except the control group were exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress for the modeling of congenital kidney deficiency. The rats in the control group and congenital kidney deficiency group were administrated with normal saline by gavage, and those in Zuoguiwan groups with Zuoguiwan suspension by gavage from day 1 of pregnancy. The serum level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the neonatal rats on the day of birth was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The full-thickness skin of neonatal rats on the day of birth was removed from the same position on the back and stained with hematoxylin-eosin for observation of histopathological changes, measurement of skin thickness, and counting of hair follicles. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling was used to detect the apoptosis of skin tissue cells. The expression of interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) in the skin tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, and the expression of occludin, connexin 43 (Cx43), and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in the skin tissue was assessed by immunofluorescence and Western blot. ResultsCompared with those in the control group, the neonatal rats in the congenital kidney deficiency group showed a rise in the serum IL-6 level (P<0.01), decreases in stratum corneum thickness, skin thickness, and number of hair follicles (P<0.01), increases in the expression of IL-6R and IL-17A in the skin tissue (P<0.01) and the number of apoptotic cells (P<0.01), and decreases in the expression of occludin, Cx43, ZO-1 (P<0.05). Compared with the congenital kidney deficiency group, the low- and high-dose Zuoguiwan groups showed declines in serum IL-6 level (P<0.05). The low-dose group showed increased number of hair follicles (P<0.05), and the high-dose group presented thickened stratum corneum (P<0.01), increased number of hair follicles (P<0.01), and down-regulated expression of IL-6R and IL-17A in the skin tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). Both Zuoguiwan groups showcased decreased number of apoptotic cells (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the high-dose group showed up-regulated expression of occludin, Cx43, and ZO-1 in the skin tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionZuoguiwan can reduce the levels of IL-6 in the serum and IL-6R and IL-17A in the skin tissue and improve the expression of intercellular junction proteins, thereby ameliorating the abnormal development of the skin barrier in the neonatal rat model of congenital kidney deficiency.
10.Pathophysiological Evolution and Syndrome-Based Stratified Treatment of Qi Deficiency with Stagnation in Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression
Jing LONG ; Hengzhou LAI ; Wenbo HUANG ; Feng YU ; Yifang JIANG ; Zhuoling DAI ; Chong XIAO ; Fengming YOU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(11):1109-1113
The concept of "qi deficiency with stagnation" refers to a pathological state characterized by the depletion of primordial qi, impaired qi transformation, and the development of internal stagnation. Under the cyclic chemotherapy regimen in oncology, chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression follows a progressive pathological course from qi deficiency to increasing stagnation. This sequential evolution from mild to severe myelosuppression closely aligns with the dynamic syndrome differentiation and treatment framework of "qi deficiency with stagnation". "Qi deficiency" reflects the gradual depletion of qi, blood, and essence, while "stagnation" refers to the accumulation of phlegm, turbid dampness, and blood stasis. These two components interact reciprocally, forming a vicious cycle where deficiency leads to stagnation, and stagnation further damages the healthy qi. In the early stage of mild myelosuppression, chemotoxicity begins to accumulate in the bone marrow, leading to qi consumption, blood deficiency, yin injury, and the gradual formation of turbid phlegm and damp stagnation. In the advanced stage of severe myelosuppression, the accumulation of toxicity causes qi sinking, exhaustion of essence, and marrow depletion, along with blood stasis obstructing the collaterals. Treatment strategies should be based on syndrome differentiation, with an emphasis on assessing the severity of the condition, balancing deficiency and excess, and achieving both symptomatic relief and root cause resolution.

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