1.Application Analysis of Rehmanniae Radix in Medical Cases of Qing Court
Yan JIN ; Tiegui NAN ; Yihan WANG ; Zhilai ZHAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):232-238
To gain an in-depth understanding of the clinical application of Rehmanniae Radix during the Qing Dynasty and to clarify its specifications and corresponding therapeutic effects, this study took Rehmanniae Radix in the prescriptions documented in Research on Medical Cases of the Qing Imperial Court as the research subject. According to historical medical literature, a comprehensive investigation was conducted on the specifications, therapeutic efficacy, frequency of use, dosage, and seasonal patterns of Rehmanniae Radix employed by imperial physicians. The findings revealed that Rehmanniae Radix in the medical cases of the Qing court was primarily classified into three categories: Xiaoshengdi, Zhongshengdi, and Dashengdi. Xiaoshengdi was also referred to as Xishengdi or Cishengdi, all denoting dried Rehmanniae Radix. The term Xishengdi was inconsistently defined in the literature. It should refer to the slender variant of dried Rehmanniae Radix and was utilized as a specific specification in the medical cases of the Qing court. In contrast, the wild fresh roots of Rehmanniae Radix, described as "as slender as fingers", were commonly documented as fresh Rehmanniae Radix in these medical cases. There were variations in Rehmanniae Radix size and grading between historical and contemporary standards. Furthermore, therapeutic differences were observed among Rehmanniae Radix specifications in the medical cases of the Qing court. Xiaoshengdi and Zhongshengdi exhibited slightly stronger blood-cooling and heat-clearing effects while maintaining a non-cloying Yin-nourishing property. In contrast, Dashengdi demonstrated a greater emphasis on Yin supplementation with relatively milder heat-clearing activity. In the medical cases of the Qing court, the dosage of Rehmanniae Radix in different specifications was usually 11.2-18.7 g per dose, typically administered twice daily. Rehmanniae Radix in different specifications exhibits variations in efficacy, which can provide evidence-based insights for precise clinical application.
2.Application Analysis of Rehmanniae Radix in Medical Cases of Qing Court
Yan JIN ; Tiegui NAN ; Yihan WANG ; Zhilai ZHAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):232-238
To gain an in-depth understanding of the clinical application of Rehmanniae Radix during the Qing Dynasty and to clarify its specifications and corresponding therapeutic effects, this study took Rehmanniae Radix in the prescriptions documented in Research on Medical Cases of the Qing Imperial Court as the research subject. According to historical medical literature, a comprehensive investigation was conducted on the specifications, therapeutic efficacy, frequency of use, dosage, and seasonal patterns of Rehmanniae Radix employed by imperial physicians. The findings revealed that Rehmanniae Radix in the medical cases of the Qing court was primarily classified into three categories: Xiaoshengdi, Zhongshengdi, and Dashengdi. Xiaoshengdi was also referred to as Xishengdi or Cishengdi, all denoting dried Rehmanniae Radix. The term Xishengdi was inconsistently defined in the literature. It should refer to the slender variant of dried Rehmanniae Radix and was utilized as a specific specification in the medical cases of the Qing court. In contrast, the wild fresh roots of Rehmanniae Radix, described as "as slender as fingers", were commonly documented as fresh Rehmanniae Radix in these medical cases. There were variations in Rehmanniae Radix size and grading between historical and contemporary standards. Furthermore, therapeutic differences were observed among Rehmanniae Radix specifications in the medical cases of the Qing court. Xiaoshengdi and Zhongshengdi exhibited slightly stronger blood-cooling and heat-clearing effects while maintaining a non-cloying Yin-nourishing property. In contrast, Dashengdi demonstrated a greater emphasis on Yin supplementation with relatively milder heat-clearing activity. In the medical cases of the Qing court, the dosage of Rehmanniae Radix in different specifications was usually 11.2-18.7 g per dose, typically administered twice daily. Rehmanniae Radix in different specifications exhibits variations in efficacy, which can provide evidence-based insights for precise clinical application.
3.Explainable Machine Learning Model for Predicting Prognosis in Patients with Malignant Tumors Complicated by Acute Respiratory Failure: Based on the eICU Collaborative Research Database in the United States
Zihan NAN ; Linan HAN ; Suwei LI ; Ziyi ZHU ; Qinqin ZHU ; Yan DUAN ; Xiaoting WANG ; Lixia LIU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(1):98-108
To develop and validate a model for predicting intensive care unit (ICU) mortality risk in patients with malignant tumors complicated by acute respiratory failure (ARF) based on an explainable machine learning framework. Clinical data of patients with malignant tumors and ARF were extracted from the eICU Collaborative Research Database in the United States, including demographic characteristics, comorbidities, vital signs, laboratory test indicators, and major interventions within the first 24 hours after ICU admission.The study outcome was ICU death.Enrolled patients were randomly divided into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 7:3.Predictor variables were selected using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression.Five machine learning algorithms-extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), support vector machine (SVM), Logistic regression, multilayer perceptron (MLP), and C5.0 Decision Tree-were employed to construct predictive models.Model performance was evaluated based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and other metrics.The optimal model was further interpreted using the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) algorithm. A total of 3196 patients with malignant tumors complicated by ARF were included.The training set comprised 2, 261 patients and the validation set 935 patients; 683 patients died during ICU stay, while 2513 survived.LASSO regression ultimately selected 12 variables closely associated with patient ICU outcomes, including sepsis comorbidity, use of vasoactive drugs, and within the first 24 hours after ICU admission: minimum mean arterial pressure, maximum heart rate, maximum respiratory rate, minimum oxygen saturation, minimum serum bicarbonate, minimum blood urea nitrogen, maximum white blood cell count, maximum mean corpuscular volume, maximum serum potassium, and maximum blood glucose.After model evaluation, the XGBoost model demonstrated the best performance.The AUCs for predicting ICU mortality risk in the training and validation sets were 0.940 and 0.763, respectively; accuracy was 88.3% and 81.2%;sensitivity was 98.5% and 95.9%.Its predictive performance also remained optimal in sensitivity analyses.SHAP analysis indicated that the top five variables contributing to the model's predictions were minimum oxygen saturation, minimum serum bicarbonate, minimum mean arterial pressure, use of vasoactive drugs, and maximum white blood cell count. This study successfully developed a mortality risk prediction model for ICU patients with malignant tumors complicated by ARF based on a large-scale dataset and performed explainability analysis.The model aids clinicians in early identification of high-risk patients and implementing individualized interventions.
4.UPLC-Q-TOF-MS Reveals Mechanisms of Modified Qing'e Formula in Delaying Skin Photoaging and Regulating Circadian Rhythm
Wanyu YANG ; Xiujun ZHANG ; Yan WANG ; Chunjing SONG ; Haoming MA ; Lifeng WANG ; Nan LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(6):88-97
ObjectiveTo reveal the active substances and mechanisms of modified Qing'e formula (MQEF) in delaying skin photoaging by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS),network pharmacology, and cell experiments. MethodsUPLC-Q-TOF-MS and a literature review were employed to analyze the transdermally absorbed components in mice after the topical application of MQEF. The potential targets of MQEF in treating skin photoaging were retrieved from databases.The compound-potential target network and protein-protein interaction network were constructed to screen the key components and core targets. A photoaging cell model was established by irradiating HaCaT cells with medium-wave ultraviolet B (UVB). The safe doses of bakuchiol (BAK) and salvianolic acid B (SAB) for treating HaCaT cells and the effects of BAK and SAB on the viability of cells exposed to UVB irradiation were determined by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method.The reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescent probe was used to measure the ROS production in the cells treated with BAK and SAB.The expression levels of genes related to oxidative stress,inflammation,collagen metabolism,and circadian rhythm clock were measured by Real-time PCR. ResultsA total of 24 transdermally absorbed components of MQEF were identified,which acted on 367 potential targets,and 417 targets related to skin photoaging were screened out,among which 47 common targets were predicted as the targets of MQEF in treating skin photoaging. MQEF exerted the anti-photoaging effect via key components such as BAK and SAB,which acted on core proteins such as serine/threonine kinase 1 (Akt1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) and intervened in core pathways such as the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathways.Compared with the model group,the administration of BAK and SAB increased the survival rate of HaCaT cells (P<0.01),down-regulated the mRNA levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2),interleukin-6 (IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1),and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) (P<0.01),and up-regulated the mRNA levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO-1) (P<0.05,P<0.01) in photoaged HaCaT cells.In addition,it eliminated excess ROS production induced by UVB and up-regulated the mRNA levels of brain and muscle ARNT-like 1 (BMAL1) and circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) associated with circadian clock (P<0.05,P<0.01). ConclusionMQEF delays skin photoaging through the coordinated effects of various components,multiple targets,and diverse pathways.The key components BAK and SAB in MQEF exhibit anti-photoaging properties,which involve inhibiting oxidative stress,preventing collagen degradation,mitigating inflammation,and maintaining normal skin circadian rhythms by regulating clock gene expression.
5.Mechanisms of reproductive toxicity and ferroptosis induced by polystyrene microplastics in male mice
Jiabo WANG ; Rong LI ; Setiniaz NAZIRA ; Chengqing LIU ; Nan YANG ; Qi YAN
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(2):224-231
Background Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) attract widespread public attention due to their adverse effects on mammalian reproductive systems. However, it is currently unclear whether ferroptosis is related to testicular damage and decreased sperm quality in mice exposed to PS-MPs. Objective To clarify the reproductive damage in male mice exposed to PS-MPs and investigate the mechanism of ferroptotic effects. Methods Five-week-old male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four experimental groups, including one control group and three PS-MPs groups at low dose (0.5 mg·kg−1), medium dose (5 mg·kg−1), and high dose (50 mg·kg−1), respectively, with 6 mice in each group. The treatment was delivered by gavage for 35 consecutive days (one time per day). After the mice were neutralized, the wet weights of testis and epididymis were measured, and organ coefficients were then calculated. Sperm was counted by hematimetry, and sperm motility and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level were evaluated using CCK-8 and CellTiter Glo ® Kit 2.0 Assay respectively. In addition, serum testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone were determined using ELISA kit, total testicular iron content was measured using tissue iron kit, and pathological changes in testicular tissue were observed after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. We also used glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assays to examine their changes to better understand the physiological status of testicular tissue. Finally, the expression levels of ferroptosis-associated proteins glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) were detected by Western blotting. Results Compared with the control group, the testicular index in the high dose group decreased, and the epididymal index decreased in all dose groups (P<0.05). The results of sperm quality analysis showed that the sperm count in each dose group was lower than that of the control group; the sperm motility decreased, sperm malformation rate increased, and ATP level in sperm decreased in the medium and high dose groups. The results of HE staining showed that the spermatogenic epithelium was disordered and the arrangement of spermatogenic cells were loose in the low dose group, the spermatogenic gap was enlarged in the middle dose group, and the cells in the high dose group were vacuolated and even azoospermic. The results of serum sex hormone levels showed that the serum testosterone levels decreased in each dose group, the serum follicle-stimulating hormone levels decreased in the medium and high dose groups, and the serum luteinizing hormone levels decreased in the high dose group (P<0.05). The iron content in the testicular tissue homogenate of the high dose group increased (P<0.05). The levels of GSH and SOD in the homogenate of testicular tissue decreased in the medium and high dose groups, while the levels of MDA increased (P<0.05). The results of Western blotting showed that the protein expression level of GPX4 in the testis in the high dose group was lower than that in the control group. The protein expression levels of SLC7A11 in the medium and high dose groups were lower than that in the control group. The results of correlation analysis showed that the expression level of GPX4 was positively correlated with sperm count, and negatively correlated with MDA level (P<0.05). SLC7A11 expression level was positively correlated with sperm count, and negatively correlated with sperm malformation rate and MDA level (P<0.05). Conclusion PS-MPs exposure leads to decreased sperm quality, testicular damage, and decreased serum sex hormone levels in male mice, and its mechanism of action may involve ferroptosis.
6.A Case Report of Pachydermoperiostosis by Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment
Jie ZHANG ; Yan ZHANG ; Li HUO ; Ke LYU ; Tao WANG ; Ze'nan XIA ; Xiao LONG ; Kexin XU ; Nan WU ; Bo YANG ; Weibo XIA ; Rongrong HU ; Limeng CHEN ; Ji LI ; Xia HONG ; Yan ZHANG ; Yagang ZUO
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(1):75-82
A 20-year-old male patient presented to the Department of Dermatology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital with complaints of an 8-year history of facial scarring, swelling of the lower limbs, and a 4-year history of scalp thickening. Physical examination showed thickening furrowing wrinkling of the skin on the face and behind the ears, ciliary body hirsutism, blepharoptosis, and cutis verticis gyrate. Both lower limbs were swollen, especially the knees and ankles. The skin of the palms and soles of the feet was keratinized and thickened. Laboratory examination using bone and joint X-ray showed periostosis of the proximal middle phalanges and metacarpals of both hands, distal ulna and radius, tibia and fibula, distal femurs, and metatarsals.Genetic testing revealed two variants in
7.Mechanism of Lijin manipulation regulating scar formation in skeletal muscle injury repair in rabbits
Kaiying LI ; Xiaoge WEI ; Fei SONG ; Nan YANG ; Zhenning ZHAO ; Yan WANG ; Jing MU ; Huisheng MA
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(8):1600-1608
BACKGROUND:Lijin manipulation can promote skeletal muscle repair and treat skeletal muscle injury.However,the formation of fibrosis and scar tissue hyperplasia are closely related to the quality of skeletal muscle repair.To study the regulatory effect of Lijin manipulation on the formation of fibrosis and scar tissue hyperplasia is helpful to explain the related mechanism of Lijin manipulation to improve the repair quality of skeletal muscle injury. OBJECTIVE:To explore the mechanism of Lijin manipulation to improve the repair quality of skeletal muscle injury in rabbits,thereby providing a scientific basis for clinical treatment. METHODS:Forty-five healthy adult Japanese large-ear white rabbits were randomly divided into blank group,model group and Lijin group,with 15 rats in each group.Gastrocnemius strike modeling was performed in both model group and Lijin group.The Lijin group began to intervene with tendon manipulation on the 3rd day after modeling,once a day,and 15 minutes at a time.Five animals in each group were killed on the 7th,14th and 21st days after modeling.The morphology and inflammatory cell count of gastrocnemius were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining,the collagen fiber amount was observed by Masson staining,the expression of interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 in gastrocnemius was detected by ELISA.The protein and mRNA expressions of paired cassette gene 7,myogenic differentiation factor,myoblastogenin,alpha-actin,transforming growth factor beta 1,and type Ⅰ collagen were detected by western blot and RT-PCR,respectively,and the expression of type Ⅰ collagen protein was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining showed that compared with the model group,inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber content decreased in the Lijin group(P<0.01),and the muscle fibers gradually healed.ELISA results showed that compared with the model group,the expression of interleukin-6 in the Lijin group continued to decrease(P<0.05),and the expression of interleukin-10 increased on the 7th day after modeling(P<0.05)and then showed a decreasing trend(P<0.05).Western blot and RT-PCR results showed that compared with the model group,the protein and mRNA expressions of paired cassette gene 7,myogenic differentiation factor,myoblastogenin in the Lijin group were significantly increased on the 14th day after modeling(P<0.05),but decreased on the 21st day(P<0.05);the protein and mRNA expressions of alpha-actin,transforming growth factor beta 1,and type Ⅰ collagen in the Lijin group were significantly decreased compared with those in the model group(P<0.05).Immunohistochemical results showed that the expression of type Ⅰ collagen in the Lijin group was significantly lower than that in the model group(P<0.05).To conclude,Lijin manipulation could improve the repair quality of skeletal muscle injury by inhibiting inflammation,promoting the proliferation and differentiation of muscle satellite cells,and reducing fibrosis.
8.Association of Genetically Predicted Obesity and Stool Frequency: Evidence From an Observational and Mendelian Randomization Study
Ke HAN ; Xiangyao WANG ; Shimin CHEN ; Xiaotong NIU ; Yan WANG ; Jingyuan XIANG ; Nan RU ; Miao LIU ; Ningli CHAI ; Enqiang LINGHU
Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility 2025;31(2):267-275
Background/Aims:
Obesity is associated with several gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and has been identified as a potential risk factor for various GI symptoms. Bowel frequency is an important indicator of bowel function. However, the causal link between obesity and gastrointestinal motility remains uncertain. This study aims to determine the causal effect of overall and central obesity on stool frequency.
Methods:
Four obesity-related anthropometric indicators–body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference (WC), and waist-tohip ratio (WHR)–were investigated. Individual-level baseline information from the UK Biobank was used to explore observational associations between obesity and stool frequency. Additionally, summary-level data from published genome-wide association studies were subjected to two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to examine causal associations.
Results:
For all 4 indicators of obesity, higher levels of obesity were associated with more frequent bowel movements after adjusting for demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and dietary factors. After rigorous screening, 482 body mass index single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 7 body fat percentage SNPs, 48 WC SNPs, and 287 WHR SNPs were identified as instrument variables for MR analysis. The MR results were generally consistent with observational findings, proving that the associations observed in the overall obesity indicators were causal. For central obesity, the association between WHR and stool frequency remained consistent in both analysis phases, whereas WC showed a multidirectional association.
Conclusions
Obesity-related anthropometric indicators were causally associated with increased stool frequency in the overall and central obesity groups. Weight loss could be a potential approach to improve gastrointestinal regularity in individuals with obesity.
9.Exploring the etiology,pathogenesis,prevention and treatment of cardiac remodeling in microgravity based on the trinity view of"Physique-Qi-Spirit"
Sitong YAN ; Luyang LIU ; Jiarou WANG ; Kailong ZHOU ; Peng TIAN ; Qian NAN ; Huiyuan SUN
Space Medicine & Medical Engineering 2025;36(5):458-463
Cardiac remodeling in microgravity exerts effects on astronauts'health and space mission efficiency.This paper analyzes the etiology,pathogenesis,prevention,and treatment of cardiac remodeling in microgravity based on the Trinity View of"Physique-Qi-Spirit"of traditional Chinese medicine.The microgravity environment disrupts the heaven-earth qi interaction law described in"Suwen Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun":"Earth qi ascends to form clouds through heavenly evaporation,while heaven qi descends as rain".This disruption causes upward reversal of human qi and cephalad fluid shift,consequently influencing the dynamic balance of the physique-qi-spirit system and inducing cardiac remodeling.The core pathogenesis initiates with qi upward reversal at the initial stage,advances through spiritual disturbance during progression,and culminates in physical impairment at the terminal stage.We therefore propose a holistic"physique-qi-spirit"co-regulation strategy implemented via three therapeutic principles:regulating qi,stabilizing spirit,and restoring physique.This approach aims to restore the dynamic balance of the"physique-qi-spirit"system in microgravity,apply the concept of"preventive treatment of diseases",holistically prevent or delay cardiac remodeling,and provide Traditional Chinese Medicine solutions for safeguarding astronauts'cardiovascular health.
10.Spermine Synthase : A Potential Prognostic Marker for Lower-Grade Gliomas
Chen LIU ; Hongqi LI ; Xiaolong HU ; Maohui YAN ; Zhiguang FU ; Hengheng ZHANG ; Yingjie WANG ; Nan DU
Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 2025;68(1):75-96
Objective:
: The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between spermine synthase (SMS) expression, tumor occurrence, and prognosis in lower-grade gliomas (LGGs).
Methods:
: A total of 523 LGG patients and 1152 normal brain tissues were included as controls. Mann-Whitney U test was performed to evaluate SMS expression in the LGG group. Functional annotation analysis was conducted to explore the biological processes associated with high SMS expression. Immune cell infiltration analysis was performed to examine the correlation between SMS expression and immune cell types. The association between SMS expression and clinical and pathological features was assessed using Spearman correlation analysis. In vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of overexpressing or downregulating SMS on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and key proteins in the protein kinase B (AKT)/epithelialmesenchymal transition signaling pathway.
Results:
: The study revealed a significant upregulation of SMS expression in LGGs compared to normal brain tissues. High SMS expression was associated with certain clinical and pathological features, including older age, astrocytoma, higher World Health Organization grade, poor disease-specific survival, disease progression, non-1p/19q codeletion, and wild-type isocitrate dehydrogenase. Cox regression analysis identified SMS as a risk factor for overall survival. Bioinformatics analysis showed enrichment of eosinophils, T cells, and macrophages in LGG samples, while proportions of dendritic (DC) cells, plasmacytoid DC (pDC) cells, and CD8+ T cells were decreased.
Conclusion
: High SMS expression in LGGs may promote tumor occurrence through cellular proliferation and modulation of immune cell infiltration. These findings suggest the prognostic value of SMS in predicting clinical outcomes for LGG patients.

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