1.Allogeneic lung transplantation in miniature pigs and postoperative monitoring
Yaobo ZHAO ; Ullah SALMAN ; Kaiyan BAO ; Hua KUI ; Taiyun WEI ; Hongfang ZHAO ; Xiaoting TAO ; Xinzhong NING ; Yong LIU ; Guimei ZHANG ; He XIAO ; Jiaoxiang WANG ; Chang YANG ; Feiyan ZHU ; Kaixiang XU ; Kun QIAO ; Hongjiang WEI
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(1):95-105
Objective To explore the feasibility and reference value of allogeneic lung transplantation and postoperative monitoring in miniature pigs for lung transplantation research. Methods Two miniature pigs (R1 and R2) underwent left lung allogeneic transplantation. Complement-dependent cytotoxicity tests and blood cross-matching were performed before surgery. The main operative times and partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) after opening the pulmonary artery were recorded during surgery. Postoperatively, routine blood tests, biochemical blood indicators and inflammatory factors were detected, and pathological examinations of multiple organs were conducted. Results The complement-dependent cytotoxicity test showed that the survival rate of lymphocytes between donors and recipients was 42.5%-47.3%, and no agglutination reaction occurred in the cross-matching. The first warm ischemia times of D1 and D2 were 17 min and 10 min, respectively, and the cold ischemia times were 246 min and 216 min, respectively. Ultimately, R1 and R2 survived for 1.5 h and 104 h, respectively. Postoperatively, in R1, albumin (ALB) and globulin (GLB) decreased, and alanine aminotransferase increased; in R2, ALB, GLB and aspartate aminotransferase all increased. Urea nitrogen and serum creatinine increased in both recipients. Pathological results showed that in R1, the transplanted lung had partial consolidation with inflammatory cell infiltration, and multiple organs were congested and damaged. In R2, the transplanted lung had severe necrosis with fibrosis, and multiple organs had mild to moderate damage. The expression levels of interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 increased in the transplanted lungs. Conclusions The allogeneic lung transplantation model in miniature pigs may systematically evaluate immunological compatibility, intraoperative function and postoperative organ damage. The data obtained may provide technical references for subsequent lung transplantation research.
2.Efficacy and safety of coblopasvir hydrochloride capsules/sofosbuvir tablets with or without ribavirin tablets in treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Chunyan MOU ; Danqing XU ; Huan MU ; Jiangyan ZHANG ; Lixian CHANG ; Yuanqiang HE ; Yingyuan ZHANG ; Weikun LI ; Xiuling ZHANG ; Xiliang HE ; Qin PENG ; Li LIU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(9):1779-1787
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic efficacy, influencing factors, and safety of a treatment regimen based on coblopasvir hydrochloride capsules/sofosbuvir tablets in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a real-world setting. MethodsA total of 253 patients who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from September 1, 2021 to May 31, 2024 were enrolled, among whom there were 86 patients with compensated liver cirrhosis (CLC group) and 167 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC group). The patients were treated with coblopasvir hydrochloride capsules (60 mg)/sofosbuvir tablets (400 mg) with or without ribavirin tablets for 12 weeks, and they were followed up for 12 weeks after drug withdrawal. The primary outcome measures were the rate of sustained virologic response at week 12 after treatment (SVR12) and safety, and the secondary outcome measures were the changes in liver function, renal function, blood routine, and liver stiffness measurements (LSM) after 4 weeks of treatment, after 12 weeks of treatment, and at 12 weeks after drug withdrawal. The independent-samples t test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the Friedman test was used for comparison between multiple groups, while the Bonferroni method was used for paired comparison within each group; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The Logistic analysis was used to investigate related influencing factors. ResultsThe 253 patients with chronic HCV infection had a mean age of 49.38±8.65 years, and there were 151 male patients (59.7%). Of all patients, 33.99% (86/253) had liver cirrhosis, 25.69% (65/253) had hypertension, 10.67% (27/253) had HIV infection, 8.70% (22/253) had diabetes, 3.95% (10/253) had liver cancer, 1.98% (5/253) had chronic hepatitis B, and 7.91% (20/253) were treatment-experienced patients. As for genotype distribution, 2.77% (7/253) had genotype 1, 12.65% (32/253) had genotype 2, 66.01% (167/253) had genotype 3, 16.60% (42/253) had genotype 6, and 1.98% (5/253) had unknown genotype. The patients had an overall SVR12 rate of 92.09%, with an SVR12 rate of 93.02% in the CLC group and 91.02% in the CHC group. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR]=1.086, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.007 — 1.170, P=0.032) and HCC (OR=9.178, 95%CI: 1.722 — 48.912, P=0.009) were independent influencing factors for sustained virologic response. Compared with baseline data, the CLC group had significant reductions in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (χ2=107.103, P0.05), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (χ2=90.602, P0.05), and LSM (χ2=42.235, P0.05) after 12 weeks of treatment, while the CHC group had significant reductions in total bilirubin (χ2=15.113, P0.05), ALT (χ2=202.237, P0.05), AST (χ2=161.193, P0.05), and LSM (χ2=37.606, P0.05). The incidence rate of serious adverse events was 1.58%, and none of the patients withdrew from drug therapy; the patients with such events were relieved after active symptomatic treatment. The incidence rate of all adverse events was 23.72%, among which fatigue (17.39%) and nausea (2.37%) were the most common adverse events, and these events often disappeared within 2 weeks or were gradually relieved after symptomatic treatment. ConclusionCoblopasvir hydrochloride capsules/sofosbuvir tablets with or without ribavirin tablets has good efficacy and safety in the treatment of chronic HCV infection.
3.Role of artificial intelligence in medical image analysis.
Lu WANG ; Shimin ZHANG ; Nan XU ; Qianqian HE ; Yuming ZHU ; Zhihui CHANG ; Yanan WU ; Huihan WANG ; Shouliang QI ; Lina ZHANG ; Yu SHI ; Xiujuan QU ; Xin ZHOU ; Jiangdian SONG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(22):2879-2894
With the emergence of deep learning techniques based on convolutional neural networks, artificial intelligence (AI) has driven transformative developments in the field of medical image analysis. Recently, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT have also started to achieve distinction in this domain. Increasing research shows the undeniable role of AI in reshaping various aspects of medical image analysis, including processes such as image enhancement, segmentation, detection in image preprocessing, and postprocessing related to medical diagnosis and prognosis in clinical settings. However, despite the significant progress in AI research, studies investigating the recent advances in AI technology in the aforementioned aspects, the changes in research hotspot trajectories, and the performance of studies in addressing key clinical challenges in this field are limited. This article provides an overview of recent advances in AI for medical image analysis and discusses the methodological profiles, advantages, disadvantages, and future trends of AI technologies.
Artificial Intelligence
;
Humans
;
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*
;
Neural Networks, Computer
;
Deep Learning
;
Diagnostic Imaging/methods*
4.Identification and functional analysis of β-amyrin synthase gene in Dipsacus asper.
Huan LEI ; Hua HE ; Jiao XU ; Chang-Gui YANG ; Wei-Ke JIANG ; Tao ZHOU ; Lan-Ping GUO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(4):1043-1050
Dipsaci Radix is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in China, with triterpenoid saponins as the main active components. β-Amyrin synthase, a member of the oxidosqualene cyclase superfamily, plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins. Asperosaponin Ⅵ is an oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin. To explore the β-amyrin synthase genes involved in the biosynthesis of asperosaponin Ⅵ in Dipsacus asper, this study screened the candidate genes from the transcriptome data of D. asper. Two β-amyrin synthase genes, Da OSC1 and Da OSC2, were identified by phylogenetic analysis and correlation analysis. The coding sequences of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 were 2 286 bp and 2 295 bp in length, encoding 761 and 764 amino acids,respectively. Multiple sequence alignments showed that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 had three conserved motifs( DCTAE, QW, and MWCYCR) unique to the oxidosqualene cyclase family. Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 had the highest expression levels in the roots. Compared with normal growth conditions, the low-temperature treatment significantly upregulated the expression of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2. Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 in Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in the production of β-amyrin, which suggested that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 were able to catalyze the synthesis of β-amyrin. This study clarified the catalytic functions of two β-amyrin synthases in D. asper, analyzed their expression patterns in different tissue and at low temperatures. The findings provide a foundation for further studying the biosynthetic pathway and regulatory mechanism of asperosaponin Ⅵ in D. asper.
Intramolecular Transferases/chemistry*
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Phylogeny
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Plant Proteins/chemistry*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
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Dipsacaceae/classification*
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Saponins/metabolism*
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Oleanolic Acid/metabolism*
5.A quality improvement study on improving the follow-up rate of preterm infants after discharge.
He-Sheng CHANG ; Xue YANG ; Jun JU ; Wen-Ya XU ; Di WU ; Xiao-Man WAN ; Zheng-Hong LI
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(2):148-154
OBJECTIVES:
To explore the measures to improve the follow-up rate of preterm infants after discharge, and to evaluate the effectiveness of these measures using quality improvement methodology.
METHODS:
The follow-up status of preterm infants discharged from March to May 2017 was used as the baseline before quality improvement, and a specific quality improvement goal for the follow-up rate was proposed. The Pareto chart was used to analyze the causes of follow-up failure, and a key driver diagram was constructed based on the links involved in improving follow-up rate. The causes of failure were analyzed to determine the key links and intervention measures for quality improvement, and the follow-up rate was monitored weekly using a control chart until the quality improvement goal was achieved.
RESULTS:
The follow-up rate of preterm infants after discharge was 57.92% (117/202) at baseline before quality improvement, and the quality improvement goal was set to increase the follow-up rate of preterm infants from baseline to more than 80% within 12 months. The Pareto chart analysis showed that the main causes of follow-up failure were deficiencies in follow-up file management and irregular follow-up times (33.70%, 31/92), insufficient follow-up education and poor communication (25.00%, 23/92), and the inability to meet the diverse needs of parents (18.48%, 17/92). Based on the key links for quality improvement and the main causes of follow-up failure, the following intervention measures were adopted: (1) strengthen follow-up publicity and education; (2) build a follow-up team; and (3) establish a follow-up platform and system. The control chart indicated that with the implementation of the above intervention measures, the weekly follow-up rate increased to 74.09% (306/413) in July 2017 and 83.09% (511/615) in December 2017, finally achieving the quality improvement goal. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the follow-up rate of preterm infants fluctuated between 23.54% (460/1 954) and 70.97% (1 931/2 721), and subsequently, it returned to pre-pandemic levels starting in February 2023.
CONCLUSIONS
The application of quality improvement methodology can help to formulate intervention measures based on the main causes of follow-up failure, thereby improving the follow-up rate of preterm infants after discharge. This quality improvement method is feasible and practical and thus holds promise for clinical application.
Humans
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Quality Improvement
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Infant, Premature
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Infant, Newborn
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Patient Discharge
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Follow-Up Studies
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Female
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Male
6.Cognitive function disparities among atrial fibrillation patients with varying comorbidities.
Mei-Qi ZHAO ; Ting SHEN ; Man-Lin ZHAO ; Jia-Xin LIU ; Mei-Lin XU ; Xin LI ; Liu HE ; Yu KONG ; Chang-Sheng MA
Journal of Geriatric Cardiology 2025;22(10):859-870
BACKGROUND:
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients and may develop earlier in those with multiple cardiovascular comorbidities, potentially impairing self-management and treatment adherence. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence and profile of MCI in AF patients, examine its associations with cardiovascular comorbidities, and assess how these comorbidities influence specific cognitive domains.
METHODS:
This cross-sectional study analyzed data from AF patients who underwent cognitive assessment between 2017 and 2021. Cognitive status was categorized as MCI or non-MCI based on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Associations between comorbidities and MCI were assessed by logistic regression, and cognitive domains were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test.
RESULTS:
Of 4136 AF patients (mean age: 64.7 ± 9.4 years, 64.7% male), 33.5% of patients had MCI. Among the AF patients, 31.2% of patients had coronary artery disease, 20.1% of patients had heart failure, and 18.1% of patients had hypertension. 88.7% of patients had left atrial enlargement, and 11.0% of patients had reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. Independent factors associated with higher MCI prevalence included older age (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.03-1.05, P < 0.001), lower education level (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.31-1.73, P < 0.001), hypertension (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.07-1.52, P = 0.001), heart failure (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04-1.48, P = 0.020), and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.04-1.98, P = 0.028). A higher CHA2DS2-VASc score (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.22-1.33, P < 0.001; ≥ 2 points vs. < 2 points), and greater atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease burden (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.02-2.08, P = 0.040; 2 types vs. 0 type) were linked to increased MCI risk. These above factors influenced various cognitive domains.
CONCLUSIONS
MCI is common in AF and closely associated with cardiovascular multimorbidity. Patients with multiple comorbidities are at higher risk, highlighting the importance of routine cognitive assessment to support self-management and integrated care.
7.Evidence that metformin promotes fibrosis resolution via activating alveolar epithelial stem cells and FGFR2b signaling.
Yuqing LV ; Yanxia ZHANG ; Xueli GUO ; Baiqi HE ; Haibo XU ; Ming XU ; Lihui ZOU ; Handeng LYU ; Jin WU ; Pingping ZENG ; Saverio BELLUSCI ; Xuru JIN ; Chengshui CHEN ; Young-Chang CHO ; Xiaokun LI ; Jin-San ZHANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(9):4711-4729
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease lacking effective therapy. Metformin, an antidiabetic medication, has shown promising therapeutic properties in preclinical fibrosis models; however, its precise cellular targets and associated mechanisms in fibrosis resolution remain incompletely defined. Most research on metformin's effects has focused on mesenchymal and inflammatory responses with limited attention to epithelial cells. In this study, we utilized Sftpc lineage-traced and Fgfr2b conditional knockout mice, along with BMP2/PPARγ and AMPK inhibitors, to explore metformin's impact on alveolar epithelial cells in a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model and cell culture. We found that metformin increased the proliferation and differentiation of alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells, particularly the recently identified injury-activated alveolar progenitors (IAAPs)-a subpopulation characterized by low SFTPC expression but enriched for PD-L1. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed a reduction in apoptosis among mature AT2 cells. Interestingly, metformin's therapeutic effects were not significantly affected by BMP2 or PPARγ inhibition, which blocked the lipogenic differentiation of myofibroblasts. However, Fgfr2b deletion in Sftpc lineage cells significantly impaired metformin's ability to promote fibrosis resolution, a process linked to AMPK signaling. In conclusion, metformin alleviates fibrosis by directly activating AT2 cells, especially the IAAPs, through a mechanism that involves AMPK and FGFR2b signaling, but is largely independent of BMP2/PPARγ pathways.
9.Application of language task-based task-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in neuropsychiatric disor-ders:a bibliometric analysis
Junyi HE ; Haifang WANG ; Jian CHEN ; Qiao KONG ; Minjie XU ; Jingling CHANG
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2024;30(8):930-938
Objective To explore the current research status and frontier hotspot of task-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)based on language task in the field of neuropsychiatric diseases. Methods Literature about the application of task-state fMRI based on language task in neuropsychiatric disorders was re-trieved from CNKI,VIP and Web of Science Core Collection databases up to November 12nd,2023.The includ-ed literature was analyzed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. Results A total of 91 literatures were included.The researches about application of task-state fMRI based on language task in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders were reported since 2002,and developed uniformly;particularly for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke,brain tumors,epilepsy,schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders,as well as in studies of brain functional connectivity.Research hotspots included mechanisms of aphasia recov-ery,brain functional changes,functional connectivity and language laterality.Journals of psychology,education and sociology played the core role,disciplines such as neurology also contributed to the advancement of this tech-nology. Conclusion Task-state fMRI based on language task demonstrates significant potential in elucidating the mechanisms of how the brain processes language in neuropsychiatric disorders.
10.Screening of Core Prescriptions for Tremors Based on Integrated Strategy of "Empirical Prescriptions in Ancient Books-medical Cases by Prestigious Doctors-computational Analysis"
Huanhuan WANG ; Mengli CHANG ; Yu LI ; Fengrong ZHANG ; He XU ; Yi ZHANG ; Shihuan TANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(12):194-202
ObjectiveBased on the integrated strategy of "empirical prescriptions in ancient books-medical cases by prestigious doctors-computational analysis", this study aims to explore and analyze the prescriptions and medical cases for treating tremors in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), predict their efficacy, and obtain the core prescriptions for treating tremors in TCM, providing references for clinical application and new drug development. MethodThe Chinese Medicine Prescription Database and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for relevant prescriptions and medical cases for treating tremors in TCM to establish a database of prescriptions for tremors. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Computer System (V3.0) was used to analyze and explore the medication rules including drug frequency, properties, flavor, meridian tropism, and pharmacological effects, as well as core drugs and formula associations. A multi-target drug efficacy prediction platform based on network robustness was used to evaluate the predicted efficacy of the core prescriptions obtained. Based on the integration of ancient prescriptions, prestigious doctors' medical cases, and network analysis results, the priority level of the developed prescriptions was determined through comprehensive evaluation. ResultA total of 81 ancient prescriptions were screened, involving 246 drugs, and 171 prescriptions were screened from prestigious doctors' medical cases, involving 278 drugs. The frequently used TCM drugs were mostly warm in nature and sweet in flavor, mainly acting on the liver, spleen, and kidney meridians. In terms of efficacy, they were mainly effective in tonifying deficiency, soothing liver and extinguishing wind, activating blood and resolving blood stasis, clearing heat, and resolving exterior. Through association rules and K-means clustering, the core prescriptions were composed of high-frequency drugs such as Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Astragali Radix, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Poria, Gastrodiae Rhizoma, and Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis. Drug combinations mainly focused on tonifying Qi and nourishing blood, with the additional functions of calming wind and dredging collaterals. Clustering analysis of core prescriptions from ancient prescriptions and prestigious doctors' medical cases, as well as multi-target drug efficacy prediction, showed that Combination 1 had the highest disturbance score on the disease network. Furthermore, comparative analysis revealed consistent results with both the analysis of ancient prescriptions and prestigious doctors' medical cases, indicating its optimal development potential based on theoretical inheritance and empirical practice. In comparison, Combinations 3, 2, and 4 were less utilized in contemporary clinical practice, with lower rankings in network disturbance scores, suggesting that their development value still warranted further exploration. ConclusionTCM clinical treatment of tremors emphasizes the regulation of the liver, spleen, and kidney. In line of syndrome differentiation, drugs potent in soothing liver, extinguishing wind, activating blood, and resolving blood stasis are added based on deficiency-tonifying drugs. The core prescriptions based on Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Astragali Radix, Poria, and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (combination 1) have the highest potential development value. The integrated strategy "empirical prescriptions in ancient books-medical cases by prestigious doctors-computational analysis" can be used for the screening of candidate prescriptions for new TCM drugs.

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