1.Clinical Efficacy of Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Combination with Chinese Herbal Medicine for Rheumatoid Arthritis:A Retrospective Study and A Meta-analysis
Chenguang ZHAN ; Shengqin YANG ; Xin LI ; Yu WEN ; Peng ZHANG ; Xingrui YAN ; Haifang DU ; Maojie WANG ; Xiaodong WU ; Liyan MEI ; Xiumin CHEN ; Yanlin LI ; Runyue HUANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(5):534-543
ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MethodsClinical data from 169 RA patients were retrospectively collected. Among them, 71 cases received JAK inhibitors as the control group, while 98 cases received JAK inhibitors plus CHM as the observation group, both treated for 24 weeks. The rheumatoid factor (RF), cyclic citic peptide antibody (anti-CCP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cell count (WBC) were recorded before and after treatment. Databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed and Web of Science were searched from inception till August 31st, 2025 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the combined use of JAK inhibitors and CHM for RA. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the risk of bias assessment tool. Meta-analyses were performed for RF, anti-CCP, ESR, CRP, 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28), overall clinical effective rate, and incidence of adverse events. Sensitivity analysis were also performed. ResultsThe retrospective study demonstrated that after treatment, ESR, CRP, and anti-CCP levels decreased in the observation group, while ESR and CRP levels decreased in the control group (P<0.05). Moreover, ESR and RF levels in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). A total of 9 RCTs involving 770 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that the JAK inhibitors plus CHM group was superior to the JAK inhibitors group in reducing RF (MD=-8.97, 95%CI -15.01 to -2.94, P=0.004), CRP (MD=-3.34, 95%CI -3.82 to -2.86, P<0.001), ESR (MD=-5.33, 95%CI -7.98 to -2.69, P<0.001), and DAS28 score (MD=-0.54, 95%CI -0.74 to -0.34, P<0.001), as well as in improving the overall clinical effective rate (OR=4.53, 95%CI 2.55 to 8.03, P<0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed between groups in anti-CCP levels (SMD=-2.08, 95%CI -4.41 to 0.24, P=0.080) or incidence of adverse events (OR=0.93, 95%CI 0.55 to 1.57, P=0.790). ConclusionThe combination of JAK inhibitors and CHM demonstrates remarkable efficacy in treating RA, contributing to improved disease activity and reduced inflammatory markers with a favorable safety profile.
2.Protective effects and mechanisms of sodium pyruvate on storage lesions in human red blood cells
Haoning CHEN ; Qi MIAO ; Qiang GAO ; Xin SUN ; Shunyu MEI ; Li WANG ; Yun LIAN ; Honglin LUO ; Chenjie ZHOU ; Hao LI
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2025;38(6):833-838
Objective: To investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of sodium pyruvate (SP) on RBC storage lesions using an oxidative damage model. Methods: Six units of leukocyte-depleted suspended RBCs (discarded for non-infectious reasons within three days post-collection) were randomly assigned to four groups: negative control (NS), positive control (PS), experimental group 1 (SP1), and experimental group 2 (SP2). Oxidative stress was induced in the PS group by the addition of hydrogen peroxide (H
O
), while SP1 and SP2 received SP supplementation at different concentrations (25 mM and 50 mM, respectively) in the presence of H
O
. After 1 hour of incubation, RBC morphology was assessed microscopically, and biochemical indicators including glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), methemoglobin (MetHb), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and Na
/K
-ATPase activity were measured. Results: RBCs in the PS group exhibited pronounced morphological damage, including cell shrinkage and echinocyte formation, whereas both SP-treated groups showed significantly reduced structural injury. SP treatment led to elevated GSH levels and decreased concentrations of MDA and MetHb, suggesting attenuation of oxidative stress. Additionally, SP enhanced intracellular ATP levels and Na
/K
-ATPase activity, thereby contributing to membrane stability. Notably, the SP2 group (50 mM) demonstrated superior protective effects compared to SP1 (25 mM). Conclusion: Sodium pyruvate effectively attenuates oxidative storage lesions in RBCs, primarily through its antioxidant properties, energy metabolism supporting ability, and celluar membrane stabilizing function. These findings suggest SP as a promising additive for enhancing the quality and safety of stored RBCs.
3.Exploring Mechanism of Hei Xiaoyaosan Regulating PI3K/Akt Pathway to Improve Learning and Memory Ability of Insomnia Rats with Liver Depression Syndrome Based on Transcriptomics
Jiamin LIU ; Yale WANG ; Hai HUANG ; Yue LI ; Xin FAN ; Pengpeng LIANG ; Shizhao ZHANG ; Mei YAN ; Guiyun LI ; Hongyan WU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(16):114-125
ObjectiveBased on transcriptomics, to explore the mechanism of Hei Xiaoyaosan regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway to improve the learning and memory ability of insomnia rats with liver depression syndrome. MethodsSixty 8-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into the blank group, model group, eszopiclone group (0.09 mg·kg-1), and low, medium, and high dose groups of Hei Xiaoyaosan (3.82, 7.65, 15.30 g·kg-1), with ten rats in each group. Except for the blank group, the other groups were induced insomnia rat model with liver depression by chronic restraint, tail clamping stimulation and intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA). Each treatment group received intragastric administration according to the specified dosage, once a day for 14 consecutive days. The pentobarbital sodium cooperative sleep test, open field test, and Morris water maze test were used to test the sleep quality, depressive-like behavior, and learning and memory abilities of rats. Additionally, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and nitric oxide (NO) in hippocampus. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe pathological changes of the hippocampal tissue, while terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick end labeling (TUNEL) was used to evaluate apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. Transcriptomic sequencing technology was employed to identify differentially expressed genes in hippocampus between the model group and the blank group, as well as between the medium-dose group of Hei Xiaoyaosan and the model group. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed on the intersecting genes. Subsequently, the enriched key genes and signaling pathways were analyzed and verified. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was utilized to assess the mRNA expression levels of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-like protein 11 (BCL2L11), and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) in hippocampus, and Western blot was employed to evaluate the protein expressions of PI3K, phosphorylation (p)-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, Bcl-2, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and cleaved Caspase-3 in the same tissue. ResultsCompared with the blank group, the model group exhibited a reduction in body weight, an increase in sleep latency, and a decrease in sleep duration (P<0.01). Additionally, rats showed obvious depression-like behavior, and their learning and memory abilities decreased. Furthermore, the contents of 5-HT, GABA, NO, BDNF and GDNF in hippocampus decreased (P<0.01). Histological examination revealed a disorganized cell arrangement in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, characterized by irregular cell shapes, a reduced cell count, deeply stained and pyknotic nuclei, increased vacuolar degeneration, and an elevated apoptosis rate (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the body weight of the high and medium dose groups of Hei Xiaoyaosan increased, the sleep latency shortened and the sleep time prolonged (P<0.05, P<0.01). Additionally, depression-like behavior and learning and memory abilities of rats were significantly improved, the levels of 5-HT, GABA, NO, BDNF and GDNF in the hippocampus increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). These interventions also ameliorated pathological damage in the hippocampal CA1 area and reduced the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons (P<0.01). Transcriptomic sequencing results indicated that Hei Xiaoyaosan might exert a therapeutic effect by regulating PI3K/Akt pathway through key mRNAs such as PTEN, BCL2L11, and MAPK1. The roles of these key mRNAs and proteins within PI3K/Akt pathway were further validated. In comparison to the blank group, the expression levels of PTEN, BCL2L11 and MAPK1 mRNA in the hippocampus of rats in the model group were increased (P<0.01), while the protein expression levels of p-PI3K, p-Akt and Bcl-2 were decreased (P<0.01), and the protein expression levels of PTEN, Bax and cleaved Caspase-3 were increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the high-dose and medium-dose groups of Hei Xiaoyaosan could down-regulate the expressions of PTEN, BCL2L11 and MAPK1 mRNAs (P<0.01), up-regulate the expressions of p-PI3K, p-Akt and Bcl-2 proteins (P<0.01), and down-regulate the protein expressions of PTEN, Bax and cleaved Caspase-3 (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionHei Xiaoyaosan may regulate PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by down-regulating expressions of key genes such as PTEN, BCL2L11 and MAPK1, and thus improve the learning and memory abilities of insomnia rats with liver depression syndrome.
4.Establishment and preliminary testing of a double antibody sandwich ELISA method for Brucella detection
Meng-xin YAO ; Ze-yu PENG ; Wen-hao REN ; Yi-mei XU ; Wei GUO ; Chuang-fu CHEN ; Zhong-chen MA ; Yong WANG
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(3):255-262
This study was aimed at establishing a sensitive and specific sandwich ELISA detection method for Brucella.We screened monoclonal capture antibodies and detection antibodies for Brucella detection,and optimized and determined the opti-mal antibody coating time and concentration,as well as the optimal blocking solution,blocking time,and yin-yang critical val-ue.The specificity of this method was verified by examination of other bacteria prone to cross-reacting with Brucella.The sen-sitivity of the method was verified by detection of a gradient dilution of inactivated Brucella.Moreover,the sandwich ELISA detection results were compared with test tube agglutination and qPCR results.The selected capture antibody was 4A12,and the selected detection antibody was 6C12.Experimental analysis indicated that the optimal coating concentration for the 4A12 capture antibody was 5 μg/mL,and the optimal dilution ratio for the 6C12 detection antibody was 1∶2000.The optimal coating conditions were overnight at 4℃,and blocking with 5%skim milk powder for 2 hours.The established double antibody sand-wich ELISA method reacted with only Brucella but not other bacteria,thus demonstrating the method's good specificity.Inac-tivated Brucella solution was still detectable after dilution to 1 × 105 CFU/mL,thus demonstrating the method's good sensitiv-ity.The intra-and inter batch coefficients of variation were both below 10%,thus indicating the method's good repeatability.Thus,this study successfully established a dual antibody sandwich ELISA method for Brucella detection,which has good spe-cificity and sensitivity,and might provide an effective approach for the precise diagnosis and effective prevention and control of brucellosis.
5.Pathogenetic analysis of the first case of ST-7962 group B meningococcal disease in Jiangxi Province
Huan FANG ; Yong LIAO ; Xiao-jun HU ; Qiong LEI ; Xiao-rong ZHONG ; Jue-xin WANG ; Su-ping WANG ; Man-mei TANG ; Yu-chen WU ; Chu-chu WU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(1):47-52
Blood from a case of group B epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis identified in February 2024 in Ganzhou City,Jiangxi Province,and throat swabs from close contacts were collected for isolation and culture.The isolates were subjected to serogrouping,drug sensitivity testing,and whole genome sequencing and analysis,to provide a basis for epidemiological inves-tigation and clinical drug use.One strain of Neisseria meningitidis was isolated from the blood of the case and denoted group B.The MLST type was ST-7962,with no clonal group attribution.The phylogenetic tree showed that it was genetically close to the 1977 Shanghai carrier isolate(id-52231).Drug sensitivity results indicated that the strain was sensitive to 8 drugs:azithro-mycin,cefotaxime,minocycline,ceftriaxone,chloramphenicol,meropenem,rifampicin,and benzylpenicillin;resistant to cot-rimoxazole,levofloxacin,and ciprofloxacin;and showed an intermediate response to penicillin.This report describes the first case of ST-7962 group B meningoencephalitis found in Jiangxi Province.Monitoring of Neisseria meningitidis carriage,drug re-sistance,and molecular characteristics of strains in the healthy population in this region should be strengthened,to provide la-boratory support for the clinical use of medications,traceability,and control of the pathogen underlying meningoencephalitis infection.
6.Effect analysis of innovative model on perioperative pain management in prostate cancer patients with hematuria undergoing prostatic artery embolization
Xin WANG ; Ji-xian ZANG ; Xiao-yang SU ; Chun-meng PENG ; Sha-sha LIU ; Ao-mei LI
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(8):728-731
Objective:To investigate the effect of innovative perioperative pain management on prostate cancer patients with he-maturia undergoing prostatic artery embolization(PAE).Methods:A total of 60 patients undergoing PAE in the Interventional Ther-apy Department of General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command from May 2024 to January 2025 were selected by convenience sam-pling method and randomly divided into the intervention group and the control group,with 30 patients in each group.The control group received traditional pain management of nursing.An innovative perioperative pain management was performed in intervention group in-cluding preoperative"body-mind-pain"holistic assessment and preparation,intraoperative humanistic care and real-time support,post-operative multimodal analgesia and rehabilitation,dynamic monitoring and closed-loop feedback.The pain degree after 6 hours,1 day,3 days and 1 week of the operation,and the quality of life after 1 week of operation,as well as nursing satisfaction at discharge were compared between the two groups.Results:The VAS scores of the intervention group were significantly lower than those of the con-trol group after 6 hours,1 day,3 days and 1 week of operation(P<0.05).One week after the operation,the quality of life in the ob-servation group was higher than that of the control group significantly(P<0.05).The nursing satisfaction of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group at discharge(P<0.05).Conclusion:The application of innovative perioperative pain management can alleviate pain of patients with PAE,which improves the quality of life and nursing satisfaction of patients,and is conducive to the rehabilitation of patients.
7.Correlation between Hemodynamic Characteristics and Clinical Prognosis of Intracranial Collateral Circulation Opening in Patients with Severe carotid Artery Stenosis and Occlusion Assessed Noninvasively by TCD
Yang YANG ; Xin WANG ; Dan LEI ; Dong-mei MA ; Pei-li ZHANG
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(13):2195-2200,2207
Objective:To investigate the hemodynamic characteristics of intracranial collateral circulation assessed non-invasively by TCD and their correlation with clinical prognosis in patients with severe carotid stenosis or occlusion.Methods:A retrospective cohort study design was used to include 96 patients with severe stenosis(≥70%)or occlusion of the unilateral internal carotid artery admitted from March 2021 to March 2024,who were divided into a well-compensated group(58 patients)versus a poorly-compensated group(38 patients)based on the ASITN/SIR collateral branch score.Hemodynamic parameters(PSV,EDV,MFV,PI,RI)were measured using TCD,and collateral circulation status was validated by digital subtraction angiography(DSA).Prognosis was evaluated over a 12-month follow-up.Logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors for poor prognosis.Results:The good collateral group exhibited significantly higher PSV(82.32±18.51 vs.56.45±15.32 cm/s)and MFV(56.93±12.33 vs.35.89±9.83 cm/s),and significantly lower PI(0.64±0.15 vs.0.82±0.21)and RI(0.43±0.08 vs.0.51±0.11)compared to the poor collateral group(all P<0.001).TCD parameters showed strong correlations with ASITN/SIR grades(PSV:r=0.62;PI:r=-0.61,all P<0.001).Multivariate analysis identified age ≥65 years(OR=1.06),hypertension(OR=3.07),PI ≥ 1.00(OR=17.25),and PSV ≤ 60 cm/s(OR=1.96)as independent risk factors for poor prognosis(all P<0.05).Conclusion:The TCD multi-parameter model enables quantitative assessment of collateral circulation function,with PI ≥ 1.00 and PSV ≤ 60 cm/s serving as key predictors of adverse outcomes.The non-invasive and dynamic monitoring advantages of TCD provide critical insights for hemodynamic stratification and personalized intervention in patients with carotid stenosis or occlusion.
8.Novel Structural Features of Isoflavone Synthase from Medicago truncatula Shed Light on Its Unique Enzymatic Mechanism
Chao SHI ; Zhao-Yang YE ; Fei XU ; Xiang-Ning DU ; Zhang-Xin CHEN ; Ming-Yue GU ; Jie DENG ; Wei WANG ; Liang-Yu LIU ; Mei-Ying WANG ; Xiao-Dong SU ; He-Li LIU ; Ming-Ying SHANG ; Li-Xin HUANG ; Zhen-Zhan CHANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(8):1204-1213,中插1-中插6
Isoflavones which mainly distributed in leguminous plants have plenty of health benefits.Isoflavone synthase(IFS)is a membrane-associated cytochrome P450 enzyme(CYP450)which carries out the unique aryl-ring migration and hydroxylation.So far,few crystal structures of plant P450s have been obtained.We determined the crystal structure of IFS from Medicago truncatula at 1.9 ? by MAD method using a selenomethionine substituted crystal and conducted molecular docking and mutagenesis study.The structure of IFS complexed with imidazole exhibits the helix Ⅰa-loop-helix Ⅰβ motif which cor-responds to helix Ⅰ of other P450s.Compared with structures of common P450s,IFS/imidazole structure contains an extra domain,i.e.,the γ-domain.The structure reveals a homodimer in which the γ-domain of one molecule interacts with the β-domain of another.The plane of heme group makes an angle of ap-proximately 40° with the helix Ⅰa-loop-helix Ⅰβ motif.Molecular docking combined with mutagenesis study suggested that Trp-128 and Asp-300 might play important roles in substrate binding and recogni-tion.Phe-301,Ser-303 and Gly-305 from the helix Ⅰa-loop-helix Ⅰβ motif may play important roles in the aryl-ring migration.These novel structural features reveal insights into the unique reaction mechanism of IFS and provide a basis for engineering IFS in leguminous crops for health purpose.
9.Clinical and genetic analysis of a case of Kartagener syndrome with obstructive azoospermia induced by biallelic variation of CCDC114
Mei-jiao CAI ; Mei-jiao XIN ; Yu-lin WANG
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(2):108-114
Objective:To investigate the clinical features and genetic etiology of a case of Kartagener syndrome with obstruc-tive azoospermia(KS-OAS).Methods:We collected the clinical data and results of examinations of a male infertility patient treated in the Women and Children's Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University.We analyzed the genetic etiology of the patient by high-through-put sequencing and bioinformatics,verified the pathogenic variants of CCDC1 14 by Sanger sequencing of the family members,and de-termined the protein expression of CCDC114 in normal subjects by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining.Results:The patient was confirmed with KS-OAS,and found with biallelic variation of CCDC114(c.71-2A>C,c.816_817insGCAG)by se-quencing,which were inherited from father and mother,respectively.According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Ge-nomics(ACMG)guidelines,the variants were pathogenic.Two offspring were obtained by intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI).Conclusion:The above findings have broadened the variation spectrum of the CCDC114,and provided some new ideas for genetic and assisted reproduction counseling for patients with Kartagener syndrome.The variation of CCDC114 does not affect the pregnancy out-come of ICSI.
10.Family participatory multisensory support programme based on the enriched environment theory in preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit
Jiaying WANG ; Mei LIN ; Dongmei XU ; Zhirong HUANG ; Songmei YANG ; Ting HUANG ; Liling HUANG ; Yujuan LI ; Xin DENG
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2025;41(4):241-250
Objective:To explore the application effect of family participatory multisensory support programme based on the theory of enriched environment on preterm infants and their mothers in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Methods:A historical comparative study was conducted. One hundred and sixteen pairs of preterm infants and their mothers admitted to NICU, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities from March to October 2023 were selected by convenience sampling method and divided into control group and experimental group according to the time of admission. The control group was given routine care, while the experimental group implemented a family participatory multisensory support programme based on the enriched environment theory on the basis of the control group. The amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) scores and the Chinese version of Parent-Child Interaction Feeding Scale (PCI-FS-C) scores before and after intervention, the Gesell developmental quotients at 40 weeks and 3 months of gestational age, the Chinese version of Maternal Attachment Inventory (CMAI) scores of preterm mothers on the day of discharge and 1 and 3 months after discharge were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 105 pairs of premature infants and their mothers were included, 52 premature infants of control group, 29 males and 23 females; 53 premature infants of experimental group, including 32 males and 21 females. Before intervention, there were no significant differences in aEEG scores and PCI-FS-C scores between the two groups (all P>0.05). After intervention, the scores of aEEG and PCI-FS-C in the experimental group were (10.91 ± 2.18) and (12.62 ± 1.32) points, respectively, which were higher than (9.67 ± 1.94) and (10.42 ± 1.45) points in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=3.06, 8.15, both P<0.05). The Gesell developmental quotient were (54.03 ± 9.73), (55.17 ± 11.19), (57.20 ± 11.04), (53.60 ± 9.74), (55.17 ± 10.11) at 40 weeks of gestational age, and (77.15 ± 11.55), (76.62 ± 9.90), (72.76 ± 11.90), (81.47 ± 10.01), (76.51 ± 12.25) at 3 months of gestational age, respectively, which were higher than the control group (49.70 ± 9.07), (49.06 ± 8.61), (52.41 ± 9.01), (49.28 ± 8.78), (50.07 ± 12.52), and (71.10 ± 11.87), (69.02 ± 12.53), (65.77 ± 12.24), (75.08 ± 11.08), (68.63 ± 10.89), the differences were statistically significant ( t values were 2.30-3.49, all P<0.05). The CMAI scores of preterm mothers in the experimental group were (82.81 ± 12.85), (87.70 ± 10.29), (95.91 ± 8.76) points on the day of discharge and 1 and 3 months after discharge, respectively, which were higher than (68.71 ± 14.15), (82.04 ± 11.87), (90.98 ± 11.13) points of the control group, the differences were statistically significant ( t=5.35, 2.61, 2.52, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The family participatory multisensory support programme based on the theory of enriched environment can accelerate the maturation of brain electrical activity in preterm infants and promote brain function and neurobehavioural development; meanwhile, it improves maternal sensitivity and promotes the establishment of mother-infant attachment relationship in preterm infants.

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