1.Current status of research on the mechanism of action of emodin in the prevention and treatment of chronic liver diseases
Yajie CHEN ; Xin WANG ; Yunjuan WU ; Ying SU ; Yuhan WANG ; Jinxue ZHANG ; Ning YAO ; Ying QIN ; Xiaoning ZUO
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(1):228-234
Chronic liver diseases are a group of diseases in which the liver is subjected to a variety of injuries over a long period of time, resulting in irreversible pathological changes that last longer than 6 months. Emodin (EMO) is a natural anthraquinone derivative derived from Rheum officinale, and its pharmacological effect has been extensively studied, exhibiting a variety of biological properties and involving multiple signaling molecules and pathways. Western medicine or surgical treatment is currently the main treatment regimen for chronic liver diseases, and the advance in treatment is limited by various reasons such as side effects and high costs. Due to its natural origin and efficacy, EMO has unique advantages in the treatment of chronic liver diseases and has now become a research hotspot. This article summarizes the therapeutic effect of EMO on chronic liver diseases and its mechanism, in order to provide a certain scientific basis for the traditional Chinese medicine treatment of chronic liver diseases and the development of drugs in clinical practice.
2.Treatment of Hyperlipidemia from the Perspective of Cold
Yuhan YANG ; Tong TONG ; Wenxi ZUO ; Qingqing WANG ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Kuiwu YAO
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(13):1451-1454
It is proposed that cold pathogen plays an important promoting role in the onset and progression of hyperlipidemia. External exposure to cold, the gradual generation of internal cold, and the covert consumption of yang qi caused by modern lifestyle factors may all provide a pathological basis for the development of hyperlipidemia. Based on the pathogenic characteristics of cold, namely its tendency to damage yang, induce stagnation, and cause contraction, this paper suggests that the treatment of hyperlipidemia should focus on warming and tonifying, warming and resolving, and warming and unblocking, respectively. This provides a theoretical reference for the diagnosis and treatment of hyperlipidemia with traditional Chinese medicine.
3.Clinical Observation of Modified Zhigancao Tang in Treating Patients with Liver and Kidney Deficiency of Parkinson's Disease and Its Effect on Neuronal Signal-related Proteins
Yifo WEI ; Furong LYU ; Jia YAO ; Guonian LI ; Xianyi LUO ; Meng LUO ; Zhengzheng WEN ; Qiuqi LI ; Yihan LIU ; Linlin YANG ; Rui ZUO ; Wenxin DANG ; Fang MI ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Zhigang CHEN ; Fan LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):166-173
ObjectiveMicrotube associated protein-2 (MAP-2), alpha-tubulin (α-tubulin), and synaptophysin (SYP) are important proteins in neuronal signal communication. This paper observed the effects of modified Zhigancao Tang on the expression of serum α-Synuclein (α-Syn) and its oligomers, MAP-2, α-tubulin, and SYP of patients with liver and kidney deficiency of Parkinson's disease (PD), analyzed their correlation, and evaluated the therapeutic effect of modified Zhigancao Tang in patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD based on α-Syn transmission pathway mediated by neuronal communication in vivo. MethodsA total of 60 patients with PD who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a treatment group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases). Both groups were treated on the basis of PD medicine, and the treatment group was treated with modified Zhigancao Tang. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The changes in UPDRS score, TCM syndrome score, and expression of serum α-Syn and its oligomers, MAP-2, α-tubulin, and SYP were observed before and after 12 weeks of treatment in each group. The correlation between the above-mentioned serum biological indexes and the levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers was analyzed. ResultsAfter treatment, the TCM syndrome score, UPDRS score, UPDRS-Ⅱ score, and UPDRS-Ⅲ score of the treatment group were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The UPDRS score, UPDRS-Ⅱ score, and UPDRS-Ⅲ scores in the treatment group were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate of the control group was 63.3% (19/30), and that of the treatment group was 86.7% (26/30). The clinical effect of the observation group was better than the control group (Z=-2.03, P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was better than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=5.136, P<0.05). After treatment, the oligomer level of serum α-Syn and MAP-2 level in the treatment group were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers, as well as α-tubulin in the treatment group, were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). Serum α-Syn was correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-Syn oligomer in patients with PD (P<0.05, P<0.01) but not correlated with serum SYP . Serum α-Syn oligomers of patients with PD were correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-tubulin (P<0.05, P<0.01) but not correlated with serum SYP level. Serum SYP of patients with PD was correlated with serum MAP-2 (P<0.05). ConclusionModified Zhigancao Tang has a therapeutic effect on patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD by inhibiting the production of α-Syn oligomers and intervening α-Syn microtubule transport pathway in vivo.
4.Diagnostic and Treatment Approach to Coronary Microvascular Disease from the Perspective of "Disharmony of Blood Collaterals and Dysfunction of Qi Transformation"
Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Jianguo LIN ; Xiaoning SUN ; Ziyi SUN ; Tong TONG ; Wenqian ZUO ; Zeqi WANG ; Kuiwu YAO
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(7):755-759
The study explores the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnostic and treatment approach to coronary microvascular disease (CMVD) from the perspective of "disharmony of blood collaterals and dysfunction of qi transformation". It is proposed that the core pathogenesis of CMVD lies in these two mechanisms. From an integrative medicine perspective, different CMVD types are analyzed based on their specific pathogenesis. Through clinical practice, four targeted treatment methods, i.e. warming, unblocking, tonifying, and activating, are formulated. CMVD caused by atherosclerosis is primarily associated with myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, and coronary revascularization, with corresponding pathological mechanisms of latent pathogenic obstruction, toxic accumulation in the collaterals, and deficiency with collateral stasis. The disease progression exhibits characteristics of correlation, staging, and transformation. Accordingly, treatment principles include warming to assist qi transformation, unblocking obstruction and dispelling turbidity, activating to disperse toxic stasis and invigorate collaterals, and tonifying to eliminate stasis and nourish collaterals. For CMVD unrelated to atherosclerosis, attention should be paid to the underlying disease, analyzing the main syndromes of blood and collateral disharmony. An approach combining disease-syndrome differentiation with blood and collateral regulation is emphasized for precise treatment.
5.Porphyromonas gingivalis Promotes the Development of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Upregulating HuR to Suppress hsa_circ_0057552
Rui YANG ; Bian-Li GU ; Lin-Lin SHI ; Shuo-Xuan LI ; Yao-Wu LANG ; Zhi-Xiang ZUO ; She-Gan GAO
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(11):1678-1686
Recent studies have revealed a significant association between Porphyromonas gingivalis(P.gingivalis)infection and poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Although cer-tain circular RNAs(circRNA)have been shown to suppress ESCC tumorigenesis and progression,their regulatory mechanisms in P.gingivalis infection-associated ESCC remain elusive.In this study,RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated that P.gingivalis infection downregulated hsa_circ_0057552 expression in ESCC cells and tissues in a time-and dose-dependent manner.Actinomycin D assays further confirmed that P.gingivalis infection reduced the RNA stability of hsa_circ_0057552 in ESCC cells(P<0.05).Functional assays in vitro and a subcutaneous tumor xenograft model in vivo revealed that hsa_circ_0057552 overexpression significantly inhibited ESCC cell proliferation,migration,invasion,and tumor growth(P<0.05).Additionally,PCR array screening combined with RT-qPCR and Western blotting in-dicated that P.gingivalis infection markedly upregulated human antigen R(HuR)expression at both RNA and protein levels(P<0.05).Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that HuR knockdown signifi-cantly increased hsa_circ_0057552 expression(P<0.01),whereas hsa_circ_0057552 overexpression had no regulatory effect on HuR.Finally,si-HuR treatment reversed the inhibitory effect of P.gingivalis on hsa_circ_0057552 transcription.This study demonstrated that P.gingivalis may promote the progression of ESCC through a novel mechanism involving the regulation of HuR/hsa_circ_0057552,thereby identif-ying a novel therapeutic target and molecular marker for P.gingivalis-associated ESCC.
6.Effects of continued use of targeted therapy on patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and complicated by hemoptysis.
Zhong-Chao WANG ; Xiu-Min HAN ; Yao ZUO ; Na DONG ; Jian-Ming WANG ; Li-Li MENG ; Jia-Wang XIAO ; Ming ZHAO ; Yuan MI ; Qi-Guang WANG
Journal of Geriatric Cardiology 2025;22(3):404-410
7.Predictive value of plasma miRNA for the risk of swallowing and cognitive impairment after ischemic stroke
Weifeng ZUO ; Jianmin CHEN ; Qinhe PAN ; Jingzhi YAO ; Yuchang GUI ; Jianwen XU
Chongqing Medicine 2025;54(8):1824-1829
Objective To explore the expression level of plasma miRNA in patients with swallowing and cognitive dysfunction after ischemic stroke and its correlation with the severity of dysfunction.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 109 patients with ischemic stroke who were hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and the First Affiliated Hos-pital of Fujian Medical University from January 2023 to March 2024.The expression levels of plasma miR-140-5p,miR-17-5p,and miR-103a-3p were detected by RT-qPCR.The swallowing function was evaluated by the Wada Drinking Water Test and the Functional Oral Feeding Scale,and the cognitive function of stroke pa-tients was evaluated by the modified Rankin Scale(mRS)classification.According to the mRS rating criteria,the patients were divided into the good functional outcome group(grade≤2,n=50)and the poor functional outcome group(grade≥3,n=59).Analyzed the correlation between miRNA expression levels and the degree of functional impairment,compared the clinical characteristics of patients with different mRS grades,and used the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the curve(AUC)to analyze the efficacy of miRNA in predicting the functional outcome of mRS evaluation.Results The results of Spearman correla-tion analysis showed that the expression level of miR-17-5p was negatively correlated with the classification of the Wada Drinking Water Test(r=-0.317)and the classification of the Functional Oral Feeding Scale(r=-0.457,P<0.05).Compared with the good functional outcome group,the poor functional outcome group had a lower proportion of males,shorter disease course,and higher expression level of miR-103a-3p,the differ-ences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The results of ROC curve analysis showed that miR-103a-3p(AUC=0.709,95%CI:0.611-0.808)had the ability to distinguish functional outcomes in mRS evaluation.However,miR-140-5p(AUC=0.514,95%CI:0.405-0.624)and miR-17-5p(AUC=0.527,95%CI:0.414-0.637)did not have the ability.Conclusion The expression level of plasma miR-17-5p is related to the severi-ty of dysphagia in patients in the recovery period of ischemic stroke,and miR-103a-3p is helpful for judging the functional outcomes of patients in the recovery period of ischemic stroke.
8.MiR-1 Inhibits Proliferation,Migration and Invasion of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Li YAO ; Weichen ZUO ; Siqi GOU
Journal of Medical Research 2025;54(4):84-88,95
Objective To investigate the effects of miR-1 on the proliferation,migration and invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.Methods miR-1 mimics,inhibitors and their corresponding controls were transfected into ESCC cells ECa109 and KYSE410.The efficiency of cell transfection was validated by SYBR-green quantitative PCR.The proliferation,migration and invasion ability of ESCC cells were assessed by MTT,foci formation,wound healing and Matrigel invasion assays,respectively.Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 22.0software for Windows.Results Overexpression of miR-1 markedly inhibited the cell growth rate and the colony-forming ability of the ESCC cells.While,downregulation of miR-1 promoted the cell growth rate and foci formation(P<0.05).And upregulation or downregulation of miR-1 significantly suppressed or promoted tumor cell invasion and migration(P<0.05).Conclu-sion miR-1 inhibited ESCC cell proliferation,invasion and migration,suggesting that miR-1 functions as a tumor suppressor in the tumorigenesis and progression of ESCC and may be a potential therapeutic target.
9.Targeted screening and profiling of massive components of colistimethate sodium by two-dimensional-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry based on self-constructed compound database
Xuan LI ; Minwen HUANG ; Yue-Mei ZHAO ; Wenxin LIU ; Nan HU ; Jie ZHOU ; Zi-Yi WANG ; Sheng TANG ; Jian-Bin PAN ; Kee-Lee HIAN ; Yao-Zuo YUAN ; Taijun HANG ; Hai-Wei SHI ; Hongyuan CHEN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(2):401-410
In-depth study of the components of polymyxins is the key to controlling the quality of this class of antibiotics.Similarities and variations of components present significant analytical challenges.A two-dimensional(2D)liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS)method was established for screening and comprehensive profiling of compositions of the antibiotic colistimethate sodium(CMS).A high concentration of phosphate buffer mobile phase was used in the first-dimensional LC system to get the components well separated.For efficient and high-accuracy screening of CMS,a targeted method based on a self-constructed high resolution(HR)mass spectrum database of CMS components was established.The database was built based on the commercial MassHunter Personal Compound Database and Library(PCDL)software and its accuracy of the compound matching result was verified with six known components before being applied to genuine sample screening.On this basis,the unknown peaks in the CMS chromatograms were deduced and assigned.The molecular formula,group composition,and origins of a total of 99 compounds,of which the combined area percentage accounted for more than 95%of CMS components,were deduced by this 2D-LC-MS method combined with the MassHunter PCDL.This profiling method was highly efficient and could distinguish hundreds of components within 3 h,providing reliable results for quality control of this kind of complex drugs.
10.Impact of intensive blood pressure lowering on atrial fibrillation risk in hypertensive patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Wenxi ZUO ; Yuhe HUANG ; Ziyi SUN ; Yuhan YANG ; Jin ZHANG ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Kuiwu YAO
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;3(2):186-193
Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including AF, which is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias globally. AF is strongly associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure (HF), and cardiovascular mortality. Although intensive blood pressure lowering has been shown to reduce adverse cardiovascular events, its effect on the risk of AF remains debated. Some studies suggest a beneficial effect, whereas others are inconclusive. Therefore, a comprehensive review and meta-analysis are needed to clarify these effects. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of intensive blood pressure lowering on the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in hypertensive patients. Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library up to September 2, 2024, for randomized controlled trials comparing intensive blood pressure lowering with standard treatment in hypertensive patients. Studies were included if participants were 40 year or older with systolic blood pressure between 130 and 180 mm Hg (1 mm Hg≈0.133 kPa). Data extraction was conducted by 2 independent researchers, and statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.4. Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. A random-effects model was applied if heterogeneity was detected (I
> 50%). Results: A total of 6 randomized controlled trials involving 34,824 participants were included in the analysis. Intensive blood pressure lowering significantly reduced the risk of new-onset AF compared with standard treatment (RR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.62-0.93, p < 0.01, I
= 0%). Reductions were also observed in stroke (RR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.58-0.87, p < 0.005, I
= 7%), HF (RR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.45-0.99, p = 0.05, I
= 53%), and nonfatal coronary events (RR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.70-0.92, p < 0.005, I
= 39%). However, intensive blood pressure lowering had no significant effect on cardiovascular mortality or all-cause mortality compared with standard treatment. Discussion: Intensive blood pressure lowering significantly reduces the risk of AF and other cardiovascular events, such as stroke, HF, and nonfatal coronary events, particularly among high-risk hypertensive patients. These findings support the potential benefits of intensive blood pressure management in reducing AF incidence and improving overall cardiovascular outcomes, but the evidence is limited.

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