1.Construction of Perimenopausal Depression Animal Models and Mechanism of Action of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Xiaoting LI ; Shouzhu XU ; Jun KE ; Zhan ZHANG ; Bao XIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):258-267
Perimenopausal depression (PMD) is an affective disorder that occurs in women during the transition from sexual maturity to old age. It can induce various complications, such as insomnia and cognitive decline. The etiology of PMD is complex. Although multiple hypotheses have been proposed, there is still no unified theory that fully explains its pathogenesis. Research into its mechanisms relies heavily on animal experiments, and establishing reliable animal models is crucial for experimental studies. Appropriate animal models can better simulate human pathophysiological states, rapidly evaluate the efficacy and safety of drugs and intervention methods, grasp the essence of the disease, and uncover its intrinsic connections, thereby exploring more advanced intervention strategies. However, there is a lack of systematic review and summarization of literature related to model construction. Additionally, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), adhering to the principles of ''syndrome differentiation and treatment'' and ''holistic concept'', has shown significant efficacy in treating PMD. In recent years, research exploring and analyzing its therapeutic mechanisms has been increasing. Therefore, to gain a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of PMD animal modeling methods and the mechanisms of TCM, this paper reviewed Chinese and English literature on PMD animal models and mechanisms of TCM in PMD treatment. It summarized the construction methods of single-factor and multi-factor PMD models, and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each modeling approach. Furthermore, it delved into the mechanisms of TCM intervention in PMD, revealing that TCM formulas primarily exert their effects by regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, gut-brain axis, cell signaling pathways, neural circuits, hormone levels, and neurotransmitter levels. This review aims to provide a reference for future research in this field. In summary, by summarizing the progress in the methods for PMD animal model construction and the mechanisms of TCM, the paper seeks to offer new insights into the mechanistic research of TCM intervention in PMD.
2.Risk factors for acute kidney injury after liver transplantation and establishment of a predictive model
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(2):380-386
ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) after liver transplantation, and to establish and validate a risk prediction model, and to provide a basis for early identification of high-risk patients and intervention in clinical practice. MethodsA single-center retrospective study was conducted, and clinical data were collected from 162 patients who received liver transplantation in Liver Transplantation Center of The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from March 2020 to June 2025. The patients were divided into AKI group with 69 patients and non-AKI group with 93 patients according to the diagnostic criteria for AKI established by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes organization and the presence or absence of AKI within 7 days after surgery. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, while the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The univariate differential analysis was used to obtain the factors associated with AKI after liver transplantation, and the multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors and establish a nomogram model; the Bootstrap method with 1 000 repeated samples was used to perform internal validation of the model. The dataset was randomly divided into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 7∶3, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the discriminatory ability, calibration, and clinical applicability of the predictive model. ResultsBody mass index (BMI) (odds ratio [OR]=1.281, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.037 — 1.582, P=0.022), serum creatinine (OR=1.097, 95%CI: 1.020 — 1.181, P=0.013), intraoperative blood loss (OR=1.005, 95%CI: 1.002 — 1.009, P=0.004), and cold ischemia time (OR=0.984, 95%CI: 0.976 — 0.991, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for the development of AKI after liver transplantation. The nomogram prediction model established based on the above factors had an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.964 (95%CI: 0.931 — 0.997), with an optimal cutoff value of 0.319, a sensitivity of 0.971, and a specificity of 0.903. In the training set (n=113), the nomogram had an AUC of 0.969 (95% CI: 0.933 — 0.971), while in the validation set (n=49), the nomogram had an AUC of 0.941 (95%CI: 0.855 — 0.944). The calibration curve showed good consistency between the predicted incidence rate and the actual incidence rate, and DCA showed that it had good net clinical benefit. ConclusionBMI, serum creatinine, cold ischemia time, and intraoperative blood loss are independent risk factors for the development of AKI after liver transplantation, and the nomogram prediction model established based on these factors performs well and has a good value in predicting the development of AKI after liver transplantation.
3.Mechanism of the interaction between immunosuppressive therapy and intestinal microflora after liver transplantation
Yan WANG ; Yufeng LIU ; Haiyang ZHANG ; Zhiwei ZHANG ; Jun XU ; Zhiyong LAI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(4):980-986
The application of immunosuppressants has significantly reduced the incidence rate of rejection reaction after liver transplantation, but the clinical efficacy of immunosuppressants is greatly affected by individual differences between patients. This article systematically reviews the recent research advances in the interaction between immunosuppressants and gut microbiota, with a focus on the regulatory role and mechanism of intestinal microflora communities on the efficacy of immunosuppressants. Studies have shown that intestinal microbiome is one of the key factors influencing the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy after liver transplantation. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis for in-depth research in this field and provide new insights for developing individualized immunosuppressive treatment regimens based on the regulation of intestinal microflora.
4.Meconium containing intestinal structures: a histological study using human fetuses
Jun ZHANG ; Zhe-Wu JIN ; Feng HAN ; Ye XU ; Gen MURAKAMI ; Masahito YAMAMOTO ; Shogo HAYASHI
Anatomy & Cell Biology 2026;59(1):105-114
Meconium is changed from defoliated intestinal villi with apoptosis. A meconium corpuscle is a limited architecture in the meconium at the light microscopic level. In histological and immunohistochemical sections of the abdomen from 40 fetuses at 20–31 weeks of gestation, we found 12 fetuses with meconium and examined the architecture.A solid or loose meconium was seen depending on sites. The solid meconium in the colon and rectum contained numerous spherical or rugby ball-like corpuscles comprising of a core with tightly-packed atrophied cells and a laminar fibrous sheath.The solid meconium surrounded and incorporated villi that maintained the original architecture. The loose meconium was seen not only in the stomach and duodenum but also, depending on specimens, in the colon and rectum. It was composed of a large mucosal fold, a single small villus and/or fragmented epithelia. Notably, these mucosal tissues still contained chromogranin-positive gastrointestinal cells and cytokeratin-positive epithelia. A large ring-like meconium was composed of the entirely circular mucosa or epithelia that seemed to be detached along the muscularis mucosae or the basal lamina.A sheath-like fibrous structure in meconium seemed to originate from the lamina propria and basal lamina of villi. A defoliation of villi with apoptosis seemed difficult to explain a detachment of the entirely circular mucosa or epithelia in large fetuses examined. The latter event might require a specific mechanism such as an in utero intussusception in which a proximal side of the colon was invaginated into the distal lumen.
5.Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy–Detected Fumarate Peak for Diagnosing Fumarate Hydratase Deficiency in Uterine Leiomyomas: A Prospective Study
Guiqin LIU ; Wenxin YU ; Shihang PAN ; Yuansheng LUO ; Jingli CHEN ; Mengying ZHU ; Zaoyu WANG ; Yang SONG ; Jin ZHANG ; Jianrong XU ; Yan ZHOU ; Jun MA ; Guangyu WU
Korean Journal of Radiology 2026;27(5):440-451
Objective:
To evaluate the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in discriminating fumarate hydratase-deficient (FH-d) uterine leiomyomas (ULs) from FH-preserved ULs.
Materials and Methods:
This study consisted of three stages, with independent cohorts recruited for each stage: 1) sample-size estimation was retrospectively performed on UL specimens (diameter ≥3 cm; age, 20–40 years) from our database with immunohistochemistry (IHC) for 2-succinocysteine (2-SC) as the reference, without genetic testing, 2) MRS sequence optimization in confirmed FH germline mutation participants with ultrasound-detected ULs (diameter ≥3 cm), without IHC analysis, and 3) prospective diagnostic test accuracy was evaluated in consecutive participants with ultrasound-detected ULs (diameter ≥3 cm;age, 20–40 years), using IHC for 2-SC for determining the FH status and subsequent genetic testing in those with positive 2-SC results to identify whether FH mutations were germline or somatic in origin. The choline and fumarate peaks in MRS were classified as positive, negative, or technical failure (TF). TFs were analyzed separately and excluded from the primary diagnostic accuracy calculations. T1-, T2-, and diffusion-weighted images were interpreted as hyperintense or hypointense. The enhancement rate and apparent diffusion coefficient were also acquired. Diagnostic performance was compared between MRS and various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features.
Results:
The optimal MRS parameters for the fumarate peak were echo time (TE) = 140 ms and an average of 256. Among the 360 prospective participants, 37 were confirmed to have FH-dULs. MRS showed positive fumarate peaks in 35 of 37 FH-dULs.After excluding six TFs, the positive fumarate peak on MRS showed 94.6% (35/37) sensitivity, 99.7% (316/317) specificity, and 99.2% (351/354) accuracy, all of which were significantly superior to those of other MRI features (P ≤ 0.002).
Conclusion
A positive fumarate peak on MRS may be a useful imaging biomarker for diagnosing FH-dULs.
6.Novel Subset-specific Functions of Dendritic Cells: From Spatiotemporal Regulation of Lymph Node Immunity to Precision Targeting Strategies——A Commentary on The Study by Huang & Gerner (Cell, 2026)
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1798-1802
Dendritic cells (DCs) serve as a crucial link between innate and adaptive immunity and represent key modulatory nodes in the initiation of adaptive immune responses. Although DC-targeted vaccines and therapeutic strategies show great promise, their development remains in the early stages due to a limited understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing distinct DC subsets in response to various immunogens and types of immune responses. Recently, a study by Jessica Y. Huang and Michael Y. Gerner published in Cell has uncovered a novel functional dimension of DCs. Beyond their classical roles in antigen presentation and T cell priming, DCs dynamically regulate the spatiotemporal organization of innate and adaptive immune responses within lymph nodes. During early type I immune responses, tissue-resident DC2s recruit innate immune cells and promote their trafficking, effectively limiting pathogen spread; however, this comes at the cost of disrupting lymph node architecture and suppressing the initiation of adaptive immunity. Following effective pathogen restraint, DCs shift their role to mediate the removal of apoptotic neutrophils and facilitate the restoration of lymph node structure, thereby reinstating adaptive immunity. These findings suggest that a deeper understanding of subset-specific regulatory networks of DCs in various immune contexts may enhance the precision and efficacy of DC-targeted immunotherapies.
7.Risk factors for decompensated liver cirrhosis and the construction of a nomogram prediction model
Yuanyuan LIANG ; Huifang QU ; Xiyue WANG ; Yan WANG ; Hezhao ZHANG ; Jun XU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(6):1327-1334
ObjectiveTo investigate the independent risk factors for decompensation in patients with liver cirrhosis, to construct a nomogram-based risk assessment model, and to assess its risk assessment performance and clinical value by comparing it with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), MELD combined with serum sodium concentration (MELD-Na), and MELD 3.0 scoring system. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 514 patients with liver cirrhosis who attended The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2020 to May 2025, and related data were collected, including demographic data and laboratory markers. According to the presence or absence of decompensation, the patients were divided into compensation group with 275 patients and decompensation group with 239 patients. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis was used for screening of variables, and the multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for decompensated liver cirrhosis and construct a nomogram model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis were used to assess the discriminatory ability, calibration, and net clinical benefit of the model. ResultsThe multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low hemoglobin (odds ratio [OR]=0.984, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.969 — 0.999, P<0.05), low lymphocytes (OR=0.564, 95%CI: 0.383 — 0.830, P<0.05), high international normalized ratio (OR=3.131, 95%CI: 1.242 — 7.891, P<0.05), and low serum sodium (OR=0.922, 95%CI: 0.872 — 0.975, P<0.05) were independent risk factors for decompensation events in patients with liver cirrhosis. Construct the prediction model equation: Logit(P)=intercept value-0.016×hemoglobin-0.573×lymphocytes+1.141×INR-0.081×serum sodium. The nomogram constructed based on these factors had a good discriminatory ability, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.787, a specificity of 77.8%, and a sensitivity of 67.4%, and it had significantly better predictive performance than MELD score (AUC=0.718), MELD-Na score (AUC=0.719), and MELD 3.0 score (AUC=0.725). The calibration curve showed good consistency between the probability of risk assessed by the model and the observed probability. The decision curve analysis showed that compared with the MELD-based scores, this model provided higher net clinical benefit across a wide range of risk thresholds. ConclusionThis study successfully constructed and validated a nomogram risk assessment model incorporating hemoglobin, international normalized ratio, lymphocytes, and serum sodium. This model has good clinical practicability and can help to achieve early identification of high-risk patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis and optimize intervention strategies in clinical practice.
8.Erchentang Alleivates Depression in Obese Mice by Regulating PPAR Signaling Pathway
Qiao YU ; Shiwei HU ; Jinrong ZHANG ; Jun XU ; Min ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(19):22-31
ObjectiveTo observe the therapeutic effect of Erchentang on depression in obese mice and explore the therapeutic mechanism. MethodsC57BL/6J mice were randomized into the control, model, metformin (0.65 g·kg-1), and low-, medium-, and high-dose (3.35, 6.7, and 13.4 g·kg-1, respectively) Erchentang groups. Gavage was initiated simultaneously with modeling and continued for 28 days. The therapeutic effects of Erchentang were evaluated through behavioral tests, liver and brain indices, liver function, lipid indicators, and histopathological changes in the liver and brain tissue. RNA-seq technology was used to conduct transcriptomic analysis of mouse liver tissue, and differentially expressed genes were screened and subjected to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Key genes were further verified by Western blot and Real-time polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR). ResultsBehavioral tests, liver function, lipid indicators, and histopathological changes in the liver and brain tissue all demonstrated that Erchentang had therapeutic effects on depression in obese mice. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of transcriptomic data indicated that Erchentang treated depression in obese mice mainly through the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway. Western blot and Real-time PCR results showed that compared with the model group, the low-, medium-, and high-dose Erchentang groups exhibited downregulated expression of fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) 1 (P<0.01) and upregulated expression of acyl-CoA oxidase (ACOX) 1, PPARα, cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A) 1, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxy kinase (PCK) 1 (P<0.05) in the liver tissue. ConclusionErchentang exerts therapeutic effects on obesity-associated depression by regulating the PPAR signaling pathway and the expression of related genes FABP1, ACOX1, PPARα, CYP7A1, and PCK1.
9.Cost-utility analysis of influenza vaccination among primary and secondary school students in Anshun City
LI Jiao, XU Fei, ZENG Fei, ZHANG Dandan, YANG Li, LIU Lili, LI Jun, ZHENG Changning, LIU Ming
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(7):1040-1044
Objective:
To evaluate the cost utility of different influenza vaccination strategies for primary and secondary school students in Anshun City, so as to provide healtheconomic evidence for influenza prevention and control in this population.
Methods:
Based on the demographic data of 380 700 students aged 5-14 in Anshun City in 2024, a decision tree model for different influenza vaccination strategies was constructed. The incremental cost utility ratio (ICUR) and net monetary benefit (NMB) were calculated, and sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the robustness of the model results.
Results:
For influenza vaccination among primary and secondary school students in Anshun City, compared with the selfpaid strategy (2% coverage), the free strategy (45% coverage) and the target strategy (70% coverage) both yielded an ICUR of -7 874.29 yuan per quality adjusted life year (QALY). When using 1 and 3 times the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the willingness to pay thresholds, the per capita Net Monetary Benefit (NMB) was 1 000, 1 600 and 2 900, 4 500 RMB, respectively. The number of influenza infections or school absenteeism decreased by 25% and 40%, while saving a total cost of (46.779 5 and 73.976 8) million yuan, and increasing QALY by 5 940.79 and 9 394.73, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that within the reasonable fluctuation range of parameters, the ICUR remained consistently lower than the one and three times willingness to pay. Furthermore, 99% of the simulation results for both the free and target strategies fell below those thresholds, indicating high robustness of the model results.
Conclusion
Implementing free and target influenza vaccination strategies for primary and secondary school students in Anshun City offer distinct cost utility advantages, and the advantage enhances as the vaccination coverage rate increases.
10.Expert consensus on basic public services for vision health management of primary and secondary school students
YANG Lihua , WU Xi, TAO Shuman, YAO Jun, WU Fengbo, LIU Fangli, MA Yinghua, FENG Zhanchun, SUN Renbiao, LIU Dongru, CHEN Qiusheng, CHEN Jie, YU Yizhen, ZHANG Mingchang, WU Xiaoyan, DU Yukai, LI Xiaoqing, LI Li, WU Xixi, JIN Xiaoqin, XU Ting, WU Mengjia, TANG Jia, Society of Student Vision Health Management of Chinese Health Association, Vision Health Branch of Chinese Association for Student Nutrition & ; Health Promotion
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(8):1069-1074
Abstract
To clarify the service targets, service contents, and safeguard mechanisms of the basic public service program for student vision health management, the study grounded in the current status of child and adolescent myopia prevention and control in China and integrated with the practical experience and innovative practices of Wuhan National Demonstration Area for Student Vision Health Management, takes education as the main thread and schools as the base, consolidating resources from multiple stakeholders including education administrative departments, schools, families, and professional technical service institutions. Centering on four core components—vision health education, monitoring and record keeping, risk prevention and control, and dynamic management, the study constructs a multi tiered basic public service system for vision health management of primary and secondary school students. It further proposes the use of an intelligent management platform and a "three tier color coded early warning" mechanism (red, yellow, blue) to prevent and control student myopia at the source, providing schools with replicable and operable implementation pathways to enhance the level of student vision health management.


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