1.Regulation of Relevant Signaling Pathways by Traditional Chinese Medicine in Intervention of Pancreatic Cancer: A Review
Quanyou ZHAO ; Conghui ZHAO ; Yu ZHANG ; Yiping FU ; Yuting LIU ; Xiaoran WANG ; Zhanzhan LI ; Mingsan MIAO ; Li BAI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):280-289
Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant solid tumor of the digestive system with extremely poor treatment prognosis. Although its incidence rate is low, its mortality rate is extremely high. In recent years, the number of diagnosed cases worldwide has continued to rise, making pancreatic cancer the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Currently, clinical treatment primarily relies on operation and chemotherapy to suppress tumors. However, these approaches face challenges such as suboptimal efficacy, high postoperative recurrence rates, and severe adverse reactions. Therefore, identifying safe and effective treatment modalities remains a pressing challenge for the medical community. In recent years, research on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions for pancreatic cancer has increased significantly. Multiple studies have shown that single-herb TCM, TCM formulas, and their derived single compounds can regulate the levels of tumor cell signaling pathways through multiple action targets. They inhibit the development and progression of pancreatic cancer by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, promoting cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, reducing cancer cell invasion and migration capabilities, regulating the cell cycle, and modulating the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, TCM has the advantages of significantly enhancing the anticancer efficacy of chemotherapy drugs and causing fewer adverse reactions. However, the specific action mechanisms by which TCM intervenes in pancreatic cancer remain unclear. Further extensive research is still needed to validate the role of regulating classical signaling pathways such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Wnt/β-catenin, nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB), notch, and hedgehog in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, this paper reviewed Chinese and international studies on TCM intervention in pancreatic cancer through relevant signaling pathways in recent years, summarized the potential action mechanisms of TCM in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, and provided references for related research in the future.
2.Research progress on the intervention of traditional Chinese medicine in lipid metabolism for obesity treatment via cAMP signaling pathway
Yu ZHANG ; Xiaoran WANG ; Yiping FU ; Yuting LIU ; Quanyou ZHAO ; Linna CUI ; Mingsan MIAO
China Pharmacy 2026;37(4):522-527
Obesity, a global chronic disease, is associated with adipose tissue dysfunction, which is one of the contributing factors to obesity. The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway, a key regulator of lipid metabolism, plays a pivotal role in obesity development. Various of traditional Chinese medicine monomers, such as flavonoids, lignans, phenols, and terpenoids, as well as traditional Chinese medicine compound formulas like Xiaoyao powder, Shengmai powder, and Zexie decoction, can maintain energy homeostasis, balance adipose tissue function, regulate glucose metabolism, improve insulin resistance, and suppress inflammatory responses through cAMP signaling pathway regulation, thereby intervening in lipid metabolism for obesity treatment. Although a substantial amount of basic research has preliminarily elucidated the potential mechanisms by which traditional Chinese medicine intervenes in obesity through the cAMP signaling pathway, clinical translational research remains inadequate. There is an urgent need for large-sample, high-quality randomized controlled trials to validate these findings.
3.A longitudinal follow-up study of cognitive impairment and clinical transformation in early Parkinson′s disease patients
Jingzhe LI ; Xiaoran HUANG ; Weiguo LIU ; Yi XING ; Yiting CAO ; Zhehao ZHANG ; Yongxin HUI
Chinese Journal of Neurology 2025;58(7):768-776
Objective:To explore the characteristics and evolutionary features of cognitive impairment and clinical transformation in early-stage Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients.Methods:Based on the cohort of patients with primary unmedicated PD admitted to the Parkinson′s Specialized Outpatient Clinic of Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from November 2018 to July 2022, follow-up was conducted for PD patients who completed the baseline assessment and had a follow-up time of 1.5 years or more, and a total of 87 patients finally completed the follow-up and were included in the study. At follow-up, the 87 patients were divided into a cognitively impaired group ( n=36) and a cognitively normal group ( n=51) according to the norm proposed by Professor Jia Jianping and colleagues in 2011 for the Chinese elderly population. Differences in baseline clinical characteristics between the 2 groups were compared, and binary Logistic regression analysis was used to explore risk factors for cognitive impairment in PD patients. In addition, transformed grouping according to cognitive assessment results at baseline and follow-up was used to compare differences in patients′ baseline clinical characteristics among the 3 groups: a reversal group [Parkinson′s disease-mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), reverting to Parkinson′s disease-cognitively normal (PD-CN); n=15], a non-reversal group (persistent PD-MCI; n=24), and a stable group (stable PD-CN; n=36). Results:Cognitive reversal occurred at follow-up in 36.6% (15/41) of patients with cognitive impairment at baseline, and 21.7% (10/46) of patients with normal cognition at baseline had cognitive impairment at follow-up. At the end of the follow-up, the 87 patients with PD had higher Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale Ⅱ (UPDRS-II) scores [8 (6, 11)], Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale Ⅲ (UPDRS-Ⅲ) scores [23 (16, 30)], and Hoehn-Yahr stages [2.0 (1.5, 2.5)] than those at baseline [7(4, 10), 19(14, 25), 1.5(1.0, 2.0)]. The differences were statistically significant ( Z=-2.498, P=0.012; Z=-3.039, P=0.002; Z=-4.436, P<0.001). The cognitively impaired group had lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores [22.00(19.00, 23.75)] and fewer years of education [9.00(8.00, 11.75) years] but higher Parkinson′s Disease Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire (PD-NMSQ) scores [8.00(5.25, 12.00)] than the cognitively normal group [25.00(24.00, 27.00), 12.00(9.00, 15.00) years, 6.00(3.00, 8.00)], and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=-4.764, P<0.001; Z=-3.016, P=0.003; Z=-3.281, P=0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression showed that years of education ( OR=0.829, 95%CI 0.715-0.960, P=0.012) and PD-NMSQ scores ( OR=1.200, 95%CI 1.040-1.384, P=0.012) were independent predictors of cognitive impairment in patients with PD. There were statistically significant differences among the reversal, non-reversal, and stable groups in years of education ( F=5.366, P=0.010), PD-NMSQ scores ( H=10.795, P=0.005), and UPDRS-Ⅱ scores ( H=6.957, P=0.031). Pairwise comparisons showed lower PD-NMSQ scores [4.00(3.00, 7.00) vs 8.00(6.25, 12.75); Z=-2.989, P=0.003] and lower UPDRS-Ⅱ scores [6.00(3.00, 6.00) vs 7.00(6.00, 10.00); Z=-2.756, P=0.006] in the reversal group than in the non-reversal group, indicating better baseline quality of life in cognitive reversal patients. Conclusions:Low educational level and severe non-motor symptoms were risk factors predicting cognitive impairment in PD patients. Conversely, mild non-motor symptoms with high quality of life (lower UPDRS-Ⅱ scores) were important factors for cognitive reversal.
4.Exploring the association between mental stress, lymphocyte subset variations, and coronary lesion severity
Yunpeng CHI ; Lijun ZHANG ; Xiaorong HUANG ; Xiaoran SHEN ; Peijun RAO ; Yanwei LI ; Haiyang CHEN ; Meiyan LIU
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(1):36-44
Objectives:This study aimed to explore the association between perceived mental stress (MS), lymphocyte subset variations, and coronary lesion severity in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).Methods:Patients with CAD were enrolled in this study from September 2023 to May 2024. Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14) was used to evaluate MS during the last 1 month. Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed, including the percentage and absolute counts of CD3 +, CD3 +CD4 +, CD3 +CD8 +, CD3 -CD19 +, CD3 -CD56 +16 +, and the Th/Ts ratio. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 24.0. Results:This study recruited patients with 323 CAD, with an average age of 61 (56, 68) years, including 203 males and 120 females. According to the PSS-14, a score of 14-42 and 43-70 were categorized as normal and increased MS, respectively. Patients with CAD with increased MS had significantly higher Gensini scores than those with normal MS [37(19,64) vs. 28(12,50), Z=-2.19, P=0.029]. Male CAD patients with increased MS exhibited significantly higher Gensini scores [39(20, 58) vs. 26(12, 45), Z=-2.37, P=0.018], levels of CD3 +CD8 +%[28.3%(23.6%,36.6%) vs. 25.9%(21.0%,32.4%), Z=-2.05, P=0.041], and CD3 +CD8 +absolute value [485 (346, 675) vs. 396 (309, 510) cells/μl, Z=-2.55, P=0.011] than those with normal MS. In male patients with CAD, a positive correlation was observed between Gensini scores (correlation coefficient: 0.181, P=0.011), PSS-14 scores, and CD3 +CD8 +absolute value (correlation coefficient: 0.162, P=0.038). Conclusion:This study reveals a positive correlation between MS and coronary stenosis severity, with notable sex differences. In male patients with CAD, higher levels of MS are associated with more severe coronary stenosis. The potential underlying mechanism may involve the regulation of lymphocyte subsets .
5.Pharmacological Monitoring of Patients with Severe Myelosuppression Caused by Antibody-drug Conjugate
Pengyuan LI ; Rui SHI ; Xiaoran LIU ; Ran RAN
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(10):1566-1572
Objective To explore the role of clinical pharmacists in the treatment of advanced breast cancer patients with severe myelosuppression.Methods This case report describes the diagnostic and therapeutic process of an advanced breast cancer patient who developed severe myelosuppression after applying ADC-based drug therapy.The clinical pharmacist proposed a prophylactic antimicrobial drug selection plan and medication monitoring recommendations for the patient's granulocytopenic fever after assessing the risk of infection and liver and renal function.For oncology drug-associated thrombocytopenia,when the doctor proposed to use the recombinant human thrombopoietin combined with TPO agonists in the case of the ineffectiveness of conventional treatment,the clinical pharmacist searched for the pharmacological basis of the combination regimen,the clinical studies of the efficacy and the adverse reactions to assist the physician's decision-making and provided targeted medication monitoring of the patient.Results The clinician and clinical pharmacist developed and implemented a rational treatment plan,and the patient was discharged with improvement.Conclusions Clinical pharmacists can assist physicians in optimizing individualized treatment plans through pharmacological monitoring of advanced breast cancer patients with severe myelosuppression.This collaborative treatment model can provide patients with more individualized treatment;it can also provide clinical reference to the treatments of patients with severe myelosuppression.
6.Construction of continuity of care plan for adolescent fixed orthodontic patients based on timing theory
Zhina HAO ; Yanru XUE ; Jianling WU ; Haiyan LU ; Chunyan LIU ; Yang LIU ; Xiaoran HAO ; Yanyan WANG ; Xianghe HUANG
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2025;41(23):1772-1779
Objective:To construct a continuity of care plan for adolescent fixed orthodontic patients based on the theory of timing, and provide systematic and standardized nursing interventions for adolescent fixed orthodontic patients.Methods:Guided by the theory of timing, preliminary plan items were formulated through literature review and questionnaire survey. Using the Delphi method, 15 experts were consulted for two rounds to determine the continuity of care plan for adolescent fixed orthodontic patients from October to December, 2023.Results:The effective response rates of the two rounds of questionnaires were 15/15, respectively. The expert authority levels were 0.93 and 0.94, and the Kendall harmony coefficients were 0.28 and 0.38, respectively. The differences were statistically significant (both P<0.001). The final established plan included 5 primary indicators, 23 secondary indicators, and 47 tertiary indicators. Conclusions:The continuity of care plan for adolescent fixed orthodontic patients based on the timing theory is reliable and scientific, and can meet the continuity of care needs of patients at different stages, providing reliable clinical basis for carrying out continuity of care.
7.Pharmacological Monitoring of Patients with Severe Myelosuppression Caused by Antibody-drug Conjugate
Pengyuan LI ; Rui SHI ; Xiaoran LIU ; Ran RAN
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(10):1566-1572
Objective To explore the role of clinical pharmacists in the treatment of advanced breast cancer patients with severe myelosuppression.Methods This case report describes the diagnostic and therapeutic process of an advanced breast cancer patient who developed severe myelosuppression after applying ADC-based drug therapy.The clinical pharmacist proposed a prophylactic antimicrobial drug selection plan and medication monitoring recommendations for the patient's granulocytopenic fever after assessing the risk of infection and liver and renal function.For oncology drug-associated thrombocytopenia,when the doctor proposed to use the recombinant human thrombopoietin combined with TPO agonists in the case of the ineffectiveness of conventional treatment,the clinical pharmacist searched for the pharmacological basis of the combination regimen,the clinical studies of the efficacy and the adverse reactions to assist the physician's decision-making and provided targeted medication monitoring of the patient.Results The clinician and clinical pharmacist developed and implemented a rational treatment plan,and the patient was discharged with improvement.Conclusions Clinical pharmacists can assist physicians in optimizing individualized treatment plans through pharmacological monitoring of advanced breast cancer patients with severe myelosuppression.This collaborative treatment model can provide patients with more individualized treatment;it can also provide clinical reference to the treatments of patients with severe myelosuppression.
8.Construction of continuity of care plan for adolescent fixed orthodontic patients based on timing theory
Zhina HAO ; Yanru XUE ; Jianling WU ; Haiyan LU ; Chunyan LIU ; Yang LIU ; Xiaoran HAO ; Yanyan WANG ; Xianghe HUANG
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2025;41(23):1772-1779
Objective:To construct a continuity of care plan for adolescent fixed orthodontic patients based on the theory of timing, and provide systematic and standardized nursing interventions for adolescent fixed orthodontic patients.Methods:Guided by the theory of timing, preliminary plan items were formulated through literature review and questionnaire survey. Using the Delphi method, 15 experts were consulted for two rounds to determine the continuity of care plan for adolescent fixed orthodontic patients from October to December, 2023.Results:The effective response rates of the two rounds of questionnaires were 15/15, respectively. The expert authority levels were 0.93 and 0.94, and the Kendall harmony coefficients were 0.28 and 0.38, respectively. The differences were statistically significant (both P<0.001). The final established plan included 5 primary indicators, 23 secondary indicators, and 47 tertiary indicators. Conclusions:The continuity of care plan for adolescent fixed orthodontic patients based on the timing theory is reliable and scientific, and can meet the continuity of care needs of patients at different stages, providing reliable clinical basis for carrying out continuity of care.
9.Exploring the association between mental stress, lymphocyte subset variations, and coronary lesion severity
Yunpeng CHI ; Lijun ZHANG ; Xiaorong HUANG ; Xiaoran SHEN ; Peijun RAO ; Yanwei LI ; Haiyang CHEN ; Meiyan LIU
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(1):36-44
Objectives:This study aimed to explore the association between perceived mental stress (MS), lymphocyte subset variations, and coronary lesion severity in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).Methods:Patients with CAD were enrolled in this study from September 2023 to May 2024. Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14) was used to evaluate MS during the last 1 month. Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed, including the percentage and absolute counts of CD3 +, CD3 +CD4 +, CD3 +CD8 +, CD3 -CD19 +, CD3 -CD56 +16 +, and the Th/Ts ratio. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 24.0. Results:This study recruited patients with 323 CAD, with an average age of 61 (56, 68) years, including 203 males and 120 females. According to the PSS-14, a score of 14-42 and 43-70 were categorized as normal and increased MS, respectively. Patients with CAD with increased MS had significantly higher Gensini scores than those with normal MS [37(19,64) vs. 28(12,50), Z=-2.19, P=0.029]. Male CAD patients with increased MS exhibited significantly higher Gensini scores [39(20, 58) vs. 26(12, 45), Z=-2.37, P=0.018], levels of CD3 +CD8 +%[28.3%(23.6%,36.6%) vs. 25.9%(21.0%,32.4%), Z=-2.05, P=0.041], and CD3 +CD8 +absolute value [485 (346, 675) vs. 396 (309, 510) cells/μl, Z=-2.55, P=0.011] than those with normal MS. In male patients with CAD, a positive correlation was observed between Gensini scores (correlation coefficient: 0.181, P=0.011), PSS-14 scores, and CD3 +CD8 +absolute value (correlation coefficient: 0.162, P=0.038). Conclusion:This study reveals a positive correlation between MS and coronary stenosis severity, with notable sex differences. In male patients with CAD, higher levels of MS are associated with more severe coronary stenosis. The potential underlying mechanism may involve the regulation of lymphocyte subsets .
10.A longitudinal follow-up study of cognitive impairment and clinical transformation in early Parkinson′s disease patients
Jingzhe LI ; Xiaoran HUANG ; Weiguo LIU ; Yi XING ; Yiting CAO ; Zhehao ZHANG ; Yongxin HUI
Chinese Journal of Neurology 2025;58(7):768-776
Objective:To explore the characteristics and evolutionary features of cognitive impairment and clinical transformation in early-stage Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients.Methods:Based on the cohort of patients with primary unmedicated PD admitted to the Parkinson′s Specialized Outpatient Clinic of Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from November 2018 to July 2022, follow-up was conducted for PD patients who completed the baseline assessment and had a follow-up time of 1.5 years or more, and a total of 87 patients finally completed the follow-up and were included in the study. At follow-up, the 87 patients were divided into a cognitively impaired group ( n=36) and a cognitively normal group ( n=51) according to the norm proposed by Professor Jia Jianping and colleagues in 2011 for the Chinese elderly population. Differences in baseline clinical characteristics between the 2 groups were compared, and binary Logistic regression analysis was used to explore risk factors for cognitive impairment in PD patients. In addition, transformed grouping according to cognitive assessment results at baseline and follow-up was used to compare differences in patients′ baseline clinical characteristics among the 3 groups: a reversal group [Parkinson′s disease-mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), reverting to Parkinson′s disease-cognitively normal (PD-CN); n=15], a non-reversal group (persistent PD-MCI; n=24), and a stable group (stable PD-CN; n=36). Results:Cognitive reversal occurred at follow-up in 36.6% (15/41) of patients with cognitive impairment at baseline, and 21.7% (10/46) of patients with normal cognition at baseline had cognitive impairment at follow-up. At the end of the follow-up, the 87 patients with PD had higher Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale Ⅱ (UPDRS-II) scores [8 (6, 11)], Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale Ⅲ (UPDRS-Ⅲ) scores [23 (16, 30)], and Hoehn-Yahr stages [2.0 (1.5, 2.5)] than those at baseline [7(4, 10), 19(14, 25), 1.5(1.0, 2.0)]. The differences were statistically significant ( Z=-2.498, P=0.012; Z=-3.039, P=0.002; Z=-4.436, P<0.001). The cognitively impaired group had lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores [22.00(19.00, 23.75)] and fewer years of education [9.00(8.00, 11.75) years] but higher Parkinson′s Disease Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire (PD-NMSQ) scores [8.00(5.25, 12.00)] than the cognitively normal group [25.00(24.00, 27.00), 12.00(9.00, 15.00) years, 6.00(3.00, 8.00)], and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=-4.764, P<0.001; Z=-3.016, P=0.003; Z=-3.281, P=0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression showed that years of education ( OR=0.829, 95%CI 0.715-0.960, P=0.012) and PD-NMSQ scores ( OR=1.200, 95%CI 1.040-1.384, P=0.012) were independent predictors of cognitive impairment in patients with PD. There were statistically significant differences among the reversal, non-reversal, and stable groups in years of education ( F=5.366, P=0.010), PD-NMSQ scores ( H=10.795, P=0.005), and UPDRS-Ⅱ scores ( H=6.957, P=0.031). Pairwise comparisons showed lower PD-NMSQ scores [4.00(3.00, 7.00) vs 8.00(6.25, 12.75); Z=-2.989, P=0.003] and lower UPDRS-Ⅱ scores [6.00(3.00, 6.00) vs 7.00(6.00, 10.00); Z=-2.756, P=0.006] in the reversal group than in the non-reversal group, indicating better baseline quality of life in cognitive reversal patients. Conclusions:Low educational level and severe non-motor symptoms were risk factors predicting cognitive impairment in PD patients. Conversely, mild non-motor symptoms with high quality of life (lower UPDRS-Ⅱ scores) were important factors for cognitive reversal.

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