1.TCM Treatment of Sarcopenia Based on PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway: A Review
Yan CHEN ; Ting DAI ; Changsheng GUO ; Zhihai FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):316-326
Sarcopenia is a systemic skeletal muscle disease characterized by the gradual decline of muscle mass,strength,and function,and its occurrence and development are related to multiple factors,involving several signaling pathways. Among them,the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway,as a key pathway regulating cellular growth,survival,and metabolism,plays an important role in the formation and development of sarcopenia. Its abnormal activation or deactivation may lead to an imbalance in muscle protein metabolism,resulting in muscle atrophy and reduction. Modern medicine is still in the exploratory stage of treatment for sarcopenia. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM),with its multi-pathway and multi-target characteristics,has shown increasing advantages in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. In recent years,various monomers, extracts,and compound formulas of TCM have been proven to effectively prevent and treat sarcopenia by promoting muscle cell protein synthesis,reducing protein degradation,inhibiting cell apoptosis and inflammatory response,and improving mitochondrial function. This paper reviewed the improvement effects of TCM on sarcopenia based on the PI3K/Akt pathway and explored its specific action mechanisms, aiming to provide new insights for the treatment of sarcopenia with TCM.
2.Spatiotemporal trend analysis of e-cigarettes online attention in China: Based on internet search data
Yan CHEN ; Chaoran ZUO ; Ting CHEN
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(4):493-498
Background The internet has become an important channel for the public to obtain information on e-cigarettes, and online attention toward e-cigarettes may reflect, to some extent, the level of public cognition and interest, carrying significant public health implications. Objective To analyze the online attention toward e-cigarettes among the Chinese public and reveal its spatiotemporal trends, providing a scientific basis for the formulation of e-cigarette regulatory policies. Methods Based on data from the Baidu Index platform, the daily average search index data for netizens across various provinces in China from 2018 to 2024 were obtained as a quantitative measure of e-cigarette online attention by using “e-cigarette + electronic cigarette” as search terms. The seasonal concentration index was applied to examine the degree of monthly concentration of attention, and global spatial autocorrelation (Global Moran’s I) was used to characterize the overall spatial clustering pattern of e-cigarette online attention at the provincial scale. Results From 2018 to 2024, the overall online attention toward e-cigarettes in China was
3.Research progress on stem cells in the treatment of sepsis
Ting CHEN ; Linlin CHEN ; Zhao CHEN ; Junping ZHANG ; Yan WANG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(2):59-64
At present, the treatment of sepsis depends largely on non-specific methods, highlighting an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. Stem cells have garnered significant attention in the treatment of various diseases due to their unique biological properties. Stem cells enhance sepsis survival through mechanisms such as reducing bacterial burden, modulating inflammation, and ameliorating organ dysfunction. Recent studies have shown that stem cells can increase the survival rate of sepsis patients through multiple pathways such as reducing the bacterial load of the host, regulating inflammatory homeostasis, and improving multi-organ dysfunction. Their derivatives, exosomes, can also alleviate the imbalanced immune response in sepsis patients. Recent advances in stem cell-based therapies for sepsis were summarized in this paper.
4.Pathological changes and macrophage polarization in the liver and spleen of mice infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis
Xiaoyu QIN ; Yuchun CAI ; Yang HONG ; Fanna WEI ; Yahong HU ; Yumeng CAI ; Yuan HU ; Ting ZHANG ; Xiaojin MO ; Bin XU ; Yan LU ; Jiahui SUN ; Yan ZHOU ; Zelin ZHU ; Muxin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2026;38(2):169-183
Objective To investigate the temporal changes in pathological damage and macrophage polarization in liver and spleen tissues of mice infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis, and to preliminarily unravel the peripheral immune responses during the early stage of A. cantonensis infection. Methods Forty female BALB/c mice at ages of 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into four groups, including the control group and 7-, 14-, and 21-day infection groups, with 10 mice in each group. Each mouse in the infection groups was inoculated with 30 third-stage (L3) larvae of A. cantonensis by oral gavage, and five mice were randomly selected from each infection group on days 7, 14, and 21 post-infection, while mice in the control group were given the same volume of physiological saline and five mice were randomly selected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. Mouse liver and spleen tissues were sampled. The histopathological changes of mouse liver and spleen tissues were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and the percentage of positive staining area and the co-localization positive rates of the macrophage surface antigens F4/80, CD86, and CD206 were quantified in mouse liver and spleen tissues using immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining. In addition, five mice were collected from each infection group on days 7, 14, and 21 post-infection, and five mice were collected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. Mouse liver and spleen tissues were sampled for detection of macrophage markers CD86 and CD206 and macrophage phenotyping using flow cytometry, and the expression of M1 macrophage markers, including inducible nitric oxide synthase (Nos2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and M2 markers, including arginase 1 (Arg1), mannose receptor C-type 1 (Mrc1) and chitinase-like protein 3 (Chil3) was quantified in mouse liver and spleen tissues using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay. Results Proliferative lesions of the hepatocyte were observed in mouse liver tissues and the follicular structures of the mouse spleen white pulp were disrupted 21 days post-infection with A. cantonensis. Immunohistochemical staining showed that there were significant differences in the percentages of F4/80, CD86 and CD206 positive staining areas in the liver and spleen tissues among the four groups of mice (F = 242.40, 197.14, 183.19, 157.65, 242.35 and 146.24; all P values < 0.001), and the percentages of positive staining in the liver and spleen tissues of mice in the 14-day infection group [(4.45 ± 0.51)%, (3.74 ± 0.67)%, (8.32 ± 0.72)%, (16.56 ± 1.14)%, (11.62 ± 0.52)%, and (8.29 ± 0.72)%, respectively] and the 21-day infection group [(3.70 ± 0.11)%, (3.22 ± 0.43)%, (11.53 ± 1.03)%, (12.59 ± 1.05)%, (9.02 ± 0.83)%, and (11.67 ± 1.10)%, respectively] were higher than in the control group [(0.35 ± 0.16)%, (0.40 ± 0.02)%, (0.93 ± 0.05)%, (2.78 ± 0.26)%, (2.33 ± 0.20)%, and (1.85 ± 0.20)%, respectively] (all P values < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed significant differences in the positive rates of F4/80 co-localization with CD86 and CD206 in mouse liver and spleen tissues among the four groups (F = 24.42, 25.28, 54.51 and 130.55; all P values < 0.001). Flow cytometry detected significant differences in the proportions of CD86+ and CD206+ macrophages in mouse liver and spleen tissues among the four groups (F = 67.98, 18.41, 29.77, 172.80; all P values < 0.001), and the proportions of CD206+ macrophages in the liver and spleen of the 21-day infection group were significantly higher than those in the control group [(9.25 ± 2.55)% vs (3.83 ± 0.72)%, and (4.22 ± 0.56)% vs (0.47 ± 0.18)%, respectively] (both P values < 0.05). In addition, RT-qPCR assay quantified significant differences in the relative mRNA expression of M1 macrophage markers (IL-1β, TNF-α and Nos2) and M2 macrophage markers (Arg1, Chil3 and Mrc1) in mouse liver and spleen tissues among the four groups (F = 41.30, 31.82, 199.33, 19.96, 62.01, 119.76, 23.67, 95.90, 72.27, 82.59, 123.41 and 29.75; all P values < 0.05). Conclusions A. cantonensis infection may cause progressive pathological damage in mouse liver and spleen tissues, accompanied by dynamic temporal changes in macrophage polarization. M1 macrophage polarization predominates at the early stage of A. cantonensis infection and shifts towards M2 polarization at the later stages, suggesting that M2 polarization may participate in immune regulation at late stages of A. cantonensis infection by suppressing excessive inflammatory responses and promoting tissue repair.
5.The first record of Anopheles messeae (Diptera: Culicidae) parasitized by water mites in China
Xue-ru CHEN ; Wen-zhen YAO ; Yu-hao LI ; Gui-chang LI ; Tao MENG ; Qun-ling FENG ; Xin-hui LIU ; Li-hong QIAO ; Xiang-ting WU ; Xue-feng ZHANG ; Cheng-lin LI ; Xue-cheng DONG ; Da-wei WANG ; Xiao-yan SI ; Yu-hong GUO
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(1):53-57
Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.
6.Mechanisms of Tongmai Yangxin Pills and Tongxinluo Capsules in Treating Myocardial No-reflow Based on Treating Same Disease with Different Methods
Siqi LIU ; Wenqing YANG ; Ting CHEN ; Yan TANG ; Ju WANG ; Yaxuan PENG ; Haoxue QIN ; Lanyue DENG ; Jialu GONG ; Ning XU ; Shuying ZHANG ; Wei ZHANG ; Ting CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(17):125-133
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms of Tongmai Yangxin pills (TMYX) and Tongxinluo capsules (TXL) in treating no-reflow (NR) after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion following the concept of treating the same disease with different methods, based on integrative pharmacology and experimental validation. MethodsEighty 8-week-old SPF-grade SD rats were randomly assigned into four groups (n=20): sham operation, NR, TMYX (4 g·kg-1), and TXL (2 mg·kg-1). A rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion no-reflow was established by in-situ ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Gastric gavage was first performed 4 h after the operation, and samples were collected on day 7. Thioflavin S staining was used to observe the NR area in rat myocardium. Echocardiography was performed to examine the cardiac function. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was conducted to observe the pathological changes of the myocardial tissue. An automatic biochemical analyzer was adopted to measure myocardial enzyme activity. Then, integrated pharmacology was applied for Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Finally, Western blot was employed to quantify the protein levels of key targets in the myocardial tissue, including soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)/dependent protein kinase (PKG), phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (p-PI3K), phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-Akt), and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). ResultsCompared with the sham operation group, the NR group showed increased NR area of myocardium, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular fractional shortening (FS), left ventricular outflow tract peak velocity (LVOT Peak), and left ventricular stroke volume (LVSV) (P<0.01), fractured and disordered myocardial fibers as well as inflammatory cell infiltration in the myocardial tissue, enhanced activities of creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the myocardial tissue (P<0.01), and downregulated protein levels of sGC, PKG, phosphorylated (p)-PI3K (Tyr458), and p-Akt (Tyr315) in the myocardial tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). The expression level of HIF-1α protein showed a downward trend. Compared with the NR group, the TMYX group and TXL group exhibited a decreasing trend in myocardial NR area, EF, FS, and LVOT Peak significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), LVSV showed an upward trend, ameliorated myocardial pathological morphology and inflammatory infiltration, reductions in CK, CK-MB, and LDH activities (P<0.05, P<0.01), and upregulated protein levels of sGC, PKG, p-PI3K (Tyr458) in myocardial tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01), the protein expressions of p-Akt (Tyr315) and HIF-1α showed an upward trend. A comparison of the therapeutic effects between the two compound prescriptions showed that TMYX tended to exert a better effect in restoring cardiac function and protecting cardiac structure in NR rats, whereas TXL was more effective in reducing myocardial NR area and lowering myocardial enzyme activities in NR rats. Integrative pharmacology analysis combined with experimental verification demonstrated that both TMYX and TXL could alleviate NR through the following mechanisms: activating the cyclic cGMP/PKG signaling pathway to regulate vascular tone, activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to dilate blood vessels, and activating the HIF-1 signaling pathway to inhibit oxidative stress. However, TMYX had an advantage in activating the cGMP/PKG pathway, while TXL was superior in activating the PI3K/Akt pathway. The two compound prescriptions exerted comparable effects on the HIF-1 signaling pathway, which might serve as their common therapeutic pathway. ConclusionBoth TMYX and TXL could alleviate NR damage. TMYX exerts its protective effect against NR mainly by activating the cGMP/PKG signaling pathway, while TXL exerts its effect mainly through the PI3K/Akt pathway. The HIF-1α signaling pathway may be a common pathway for the two compound prescriptions to exert their protective effects against NR. This study reveals the similarities and differences between TMYX and TXL in the treatment effect and mechanism for NR, providing an experimental basis and a theoretical basis for better clinical application of the two compound prescriptions.
7.Relationship between work load and sleep quality of employees at an airport in Hunan Province: Mediating role of job burnout
Tinghua YAN ; Yunfan ZHENG ; Ting LIU ; Ding LI ; Yunfeng NIE ; Shi CHEN
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(12):1465-1471
Background With the unprecedented development of aviation business, the work load and job burnout of airport employees are becoming more and more serious, and the impact on sleep quality needs to be addressed. Objective To explore the current situation of work load and sleep quality of airport employees, and whether job burnout plays a role in the relationship between the two variables. Methods During September 2023, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among employees of an airport in Hunan Province, and
8.Epidemiological characteristics of rifampicin resistant pulmonary tuberculosis among students in Chongqing during 2015-2024
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(12):1771-1775
Objective:
To delineate the epidemiologic profile of rifampicin resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (RR-PTB) among students in Chongqing, so as to provide evidence for effectively controlling RR-PTB outbreaks in schools.
Methods:
Individual level surveillance records of 395 student RR-PTB cases reported from 2015 to 2024 were extracted from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention. The Joinpoint regression analysis was employed to quantify temporal trends in the registration rate of student RR-PTB cases, and the comparison of RR-PTB registration rates with different demographic characteristics and different regions was performed using Chi-square test.
Results:
From 2015 to 2024, a total of 395 student RR-PTB cases were identified, with the registration rate ranged from 0.07 per 100 000 to 1.47 per 100 000, showed a fluctuating upward trend ( AAPC= 35.22%, t =4.13, P <0.01). A turning point was detected in 2017, rates rose during 2015-2017 (APC=295.23%, t =4.62, P < 0.01 ) and plateaued thereafter (APC=-0.47%, t =-0.12, P =0.91). The proportion of RR-PTB cases occurring among students increased both among all RR-PTB cases (1.54% in 2015, 7.48% in 2024) and all student pulmonary tuberculosis cases (0.20% in 2015, 7.17% in 2024), with significant linear trends ( χ 2 trend =33.55,159.98, both P <0.01). The majority of cases were enrolled in senior high school (50.38%), classified as retreatment (53.92%), of Han ethnicity (75.95%), and diagnosed with multidrug resistant tuberculosis(53.16%). There were significant differences in the composition of different ethnicity, registration category and resistance pattern between different years( χ 2=23.47, 17.23, 59.64,all P <0.05). The South-Eastern Wuling Mountainous Region exhibited the highest notification rate (3.96 per 100 000), whereas the western region had the lowest rate ( 0.47 per 100 000). County level jurisdictions reported higher rates than district level ones (2.16 per 100 000 vs 0.63 per 100 000 ). Statistically significant differences were observed in the RR-PTB reported rates among students across different districts and counties( χ 2=418.05,167.05,both P <0.01).
Conclusions
From 2015 to 2024, the registration rate of detected student RR-PTB cases in Chongqing showed an increasing trend. Students have become one of the key populations for drug resistant TB prevention and control. Intensified health education and active case finding should be implemented to enhance proactive surveillance capabilities.
9.The impact of early enteral nutrition on intestinal function in patients with complicated intra-abdominal infection
Shuang-Shuang QIU ; Yan-Hua WANG ; Qiao-Hong HONG ; Cui-Ping ZENG ; Jian-Ting CHEN ; Jian-She SHI
Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition 2025;32(2):95-100
Objective:To investigate the effect of early enteral nutrition on intestinal function in patients with complicated intra-abdominal infection.Methods:In this study,a prospective single-center randomized controlled trial was used to select 88 patients with severe abdominal infections in the surgical intensive care ward from January 2021 to December 2023.Among them,65 patients were eligible and were randomly divided into 33cases in the intervention group(who received early enteral nutrition),and 32cases in the control group(who did not receive early enteral nutrition).The clinical baseline characteristics of the two groups,conditions such as abdominal distension and diarrhea during enteral nutrition,intra-abdominal pressure,the time to reach the standard of complete enteral nutrition,and the indexes of pre-albumin,CRP,and leukocyte count on the third and the seventh day postoperative day were observed.The t-test was used to compare between groups for normally distributed measures.The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare between groups for skewed measures.The χ2 test or continuity-corrected χ2 test was used to compare the count data between groups.Repeated measures data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA.Results:The clinical baseline characteristics of the two groups were completely matched;There were significant differences in the changes of intra-abdominal pressure over time between the two groups(Fgroup=9.665,P=0.004),There were significant differences in the changes of intra-abdominal pressure over time between the two intervention group(Ftime=64.124,P<0.001)and the control group.and the trend of intra-abdominal pressure reduction in the intervention group was more significant than that in the control group(Finteractive=3.938,P=0.023);The time required for the recovery of bowel sounds was significantly shorter in the experimental group than in the control group[(19.5±3.5)h vs(35.3±4.5)h,P<0.001,t=15.829];there was no significant difference in the frequency of abdominal distention,vomiting and aspiration between the two groups(P>0.05),and the difference in the frequency of diarrhea was statistically significant(P=0.003);The time to reach the standard of enteral nutrition in the intervention group was shorter than that in the control group[(6.3±1.2)d vs(7.4±1.5)d,P=0.002];The total hospital stay of the intervention group was significantly shorter than that of the control group[(11±3.2)d vs(14±4.1)d,P=0.007].The prealbumin(0.21±0.2,0.28±0.2)g/L,CRP(175.5±23.6,45.4±14.5)mg/L,and white blood cell count(11.7±2.9,9.1±3.5)109/L of the intervention group on the 3rd and 7th days after surgery were significantly improved compared with those of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Early enteral nutrition can effectively promote the recovery of intestinal function in patients with complicated intra-abdominal infection.
10.Automatic Discrimination Method for Detection of Mineral Oil Based on Multiple Second-order Difference Quotient Filtering
Juan REN ; Bing-Ning LI ; Ling-Ling LIU ; Ting CHEN ; Qing-Jun LIU ; Yan-Wen WU
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(1):104-114
Mineral oil contaminants composed of saturated hydrocarbons(MOSH)and aromatic hydrocarbons(MOAH)are commonly found in edible oils and related processed foods.Currently,the analysis of mineral oils primarily employs the liquid chromatography-gas chromatography-flame ionization detector(LC-GC-FID)method.Liquid chromatography is used to purify and separate MOSH and MOAH from interfering substances,and the interface technology transfers MOSH or MOAH into different GC channels for quantitative analysis.The MOSH and MOAH chromatograms typically exhibit an irregular hump shape,with sharp peaks above the hump representing natural hydrocarbon interferences,which usually do not affect the identification of the hump profile.However,when the purification of interferences is incomplete,they can form one or more gaps above the hump,interfering with the accurate judgment and delineation of the hump profile,and leading to poor reproducibility of analysis results of mineral oil.In this study,an algorithm that mimicked the manual drawing of the hump shape or contour was proposed for automatically determining the mineral oil hump contour(i.e.,the lower envelope line).The algorithm used a multiple second-order difference quotient filtering method to identify and remove the gaps above the hump.The method involved first searching and determining the lowest value of the mineral oil hump,which was the valley point sequence,and then applying second-order difference quotient filtering to the valley point sequence.Compared to the hump,the second-order difference quotient of sharp peaks was a significantly larger negative value.By filtering out the points in the valley point sequence with larger negative second-order difference quotients(or multiple second-order difference quotients),the sharp peaks above the hump were removed.To verify the accuracy of the algorithm,42 different types of samples,including edible oils and milk powders were analyzed,using both the automatic algorithm and manual methods.The results showed that there were no significant differences in the detected mineral oil contents between these two methods.


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