1.Establishment and Multidimensional Pathological Evaluations of a Cigarette Smoke Exposure-Induced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Mouse Model
Jiaqi HE ; Yuanyuan ZHOU ; Yongqiang NIE ; Zhaoxia WANG ; Wangjie XU
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2026;46(1):11-19
ObjectiveTo establish a reliable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mouse model based on a self-developed multichannel automatic control system for long-term continuous cigarette smoke exposure in small animals using a novel continuous cigarette smoke exposure method, and to conduct phenotypic evaluation and analysis, thereby providing an animal experimental basis for investigating COPD pathogenesis and prevention strategies. MethodsTwenty male C57BL/6J mice aged 6 weeks were randomly and equally divided into a control group and a model group. The model group (n=10) underwent 6 h of continuous cigarette smoke exposure daily (6 cigarettes per day for 12 consecutive weeks), while the control group (n=10) received no intervention. Body weight was monitored biweekly. Post-exposure, in vivo micro-CT imaging was performed. After euthanasia, serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were quantified by ELISA. Lung tissues underwent H&E and Masson's trichrome staining to observe changes in lung morphology and inflammatory cell infiltration, and the mean linear intercept (MLI) was calculated, thereby comprehensively evaluating the clinical features of COPD in the mouse model. ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group showed significantly reduced body weight (P<0.01) from the fourth week. Compared with the control group, IL-6 level in the serum and BALF of the model group increased by 27.2% and 140.0%, respectively (P<0.01). TNF-α level in the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the model group increased by 16.7% (P<0.01) and 19.3% (P<0.05), respectively. Histopathological examination revealed alveolar wall thinning, septal rupture, emphysematous bullae formation, reduced alveolar count, bronchial wall thickening with lumen narrowing, and inflammatory cell infiltration. MLI was significantly elevated (P<0.01). Masson's staining confirmed collagen deposition and bronchial remodeling. Micro-CT demonstrated localized high-density shadows exhibiting typical features of chronic bronchitis. Conclusion The self-developed device enables long-term continuous smoke exposure, and the successfully established COPD mouse model exhibits pathological features highly consistent with clinical manifestations, offering an efficient and reliable tool for COPD research.
2.Nomogram based on multimodal MRI radiomics for discriminating molecular subtypes of HER-2-negative breast cancer
Qun WANG ; Hongli PAN ; Xiaohu LI ; Yongqiang YU ; Yunwen YAN ; Weishu HOU
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(4):715-723
ObjectiveTo explore the value of a multimodal MRI-based radiomics nomogram for differentiating human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) negative breast cancer molecular subtypes.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on 190 patients with HER-2 negative breast cancer who underwent multimodal MRI examination, and the patients were divided into two molecular subtype groups: a HER-2 low expression group (n=108) and a HER-2 zero expression group (n=82). The cases were randomly stratified and sampled at a ratio of 7∶3 and divided into a training set of 133 cases and a testing set of 57 cases. The clinical and radiological features of the patients were collected, the radiomics features based on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI were extracted, and the clinical-radiological model, unimodal radiomics model, multimodal radiomics model, and combined model were constructed respectively. Then the nomogram combined multimodal radiomics signature (radsocre) with clinical-radiological features was used to construct a visualized predictive model, and the area under the curve (AUC) was used to compare the effectiveness of different models in distinguishing HER-2 low expression and zero expression subtypes.ResultsA significant difference in radscore was demonstrated between the HER-2 low and HER-2 zero expression groups in both the training (P<0.000 1) and testing sets (P<0.01). The AUC of the multimodal radiomics model in the training set and the testing set were 0.914 and 0.836, respectively, which was superior to any unimodal radiomics model. The nomogram demonstrated great diagnostic efficacy (AUC=0.930 in training set; AUC=0.865 in testing set).ConclusionA multimodal MRI-based nomogram incorporating radsocre and clinical-radiological features can accurately distinguish the subtypes of HER-2 negative breast cancer.
3.Efficacy of Zishen Huoxue Formula in treatment of molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria in patients with primary liver cancer
Jing JING ; Aozhe ZHANG ; Simiao YU ; Xin WANG ; Yongqiang SUN ; Yiling WANG ; Ruixin GAO ; Yinying LU ; Xiaohe XIAO ; Ruilin WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(4):874-881
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Zishen Huoxue Formula (ZSXHF) on molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC), to assess the efficacy of ZSXHF in the treatment of molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria, and to provide a basis for clinical medication. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted among the PLC patients with molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria who were diagnosed and treated in The Department of Hepatology of Chinese PLA General Hospital, from January 1, 2022 to July 1, 2025. With ZSXHF treatment as the exposure factor, the patients with a cumulative treatment duration of ≥9 weeks were enrolled as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group, while those without TCM treatment were enrolled as control group. Propensity score matching was performed for the two groups at a ratio of 1∶1 based on sex, age, 24-hour urinary protein, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for promoting the improvement of targeted-therapy-associated proteinuria. ResultsA total of 137 PLC patients with targeted-therapy-associated proteinuria were enrolled, with 34 patients in the TCM group and 103 in the control group. After follow-up for 6 months, the TCM group had a significant improvement in urinary protein grade compared with the control group (χ2=9.261, P=0.016). There were 25 patients in each group after propensity score matching, and after follow-up for 6 months, there were significant differences between the two groups in urinary protein grade (χ2=15.689, P<0.001) and 24-hour urinary protein (Z=-3.075, P=0.002). After cumulative treatment with ZSXHF for ≥9 weeks, the TCM group had a significantly greater change in 24-hour urinary protein from baseline compared with the control group (t=-2.514, P=0.016), while there were no significant differences in the changes in liver and renal function after ZSXHF intervention between the two groups (all P>0.05). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that ZSXHF treatment (odds ratio=2.901, 95% confidence interval: 1.135 — 7.417, P=0.026) was an independent influencing factor for improvement in molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria. ConclusionZSHXF can effectively alleviate molecular-targeted therapy-associated proteinuria in PLC patients with a favorable safety profile, which provides a new reference for TCM prevention and treatment of molecular-targeted therapy-associated adverse reactions in PLC patients.
4.Study on quality control of Jinbei oral liquid based on fingerprint,chemical pattern recognition and multi-index content determination
Jing TIAN ; Weiliang CUI ; Yuanfang ZANG ; Bing WANG ; Huifen LI ; Aijun ZHANG ; Fei XUE ; Yingying XIE ; Yongqiang LIN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(13):1704-1709
OBJECTIVE To establish a quality control method for Jinbei oral liquid based on multi-wavelength switching high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint, chemical pattern recognition and multi-index content determination. METHODS A total of 15 batches of Jinbei oral liquid were used as test samples. The Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine ( Version 2012 ) was adopted to establish multi-wavelength switching HPLC fingerprints, followed by chromatographic peak identification and similarity evaluation. Cluster analysis, principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis were applied to conduct chemical pattern recognition on the 15 batches of samples. The multi-wavelength switching HPLC method was used to simultaneously determine the contents of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, forsythoside A, baicalin, salvianoli c acid B and wogonoside in samples. RESULTS A total of 25 common peaks were calibrated in the fingerprints of 15 batches of Jinbei oral liquid, among which 7 common peaks were unambiguously identified. The similarity of all samples was higher than 0.960. Chemical pattern recognition results showed that samples S1-S8 were clustered into group 1, and samples S9-S15 were clustered into group 2. Baicalin, wogonoside, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid and salvianolic acid B were identified as the differential quality markers. The average contents of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, forsythoside A, baicalin, salvianolic acid B and wogonoside in 15 batches of Jinbei oral liquid were 0.213 7, 0.085 3, 0.104 9, 0.287 3, 0.420 1, 0.062 1, 0.176 0 mg/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The established quality control method for Jinbei oral liquid combining multi-wavelength switching HPLC fingerprint, chemical pattern recognition and multi-index content determination is stable and reliable, which can provide a reference for the formulation of quality standards of this preparation.
5.Study on quality control of Jinbei oral liquid based on fingerprint,chemical pattern recognition and multi-index content determination
Jing TIAN ; Weiliang CUI ; Yuanfang ZANG ; Bing WANG ; Huifen LI ; Aijun ZHANG ; Fei XUE ; Yingying XIE ; Yongqiang LIN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(13):1704-1709
OBJECTIVE To establish a quality control method for Jinbei oral liquid based on multi-wavelength switching high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint, chemical pattern recognition and multi-index content determination. METHODS A total of 15 batches of Jinbei oral liquid were used as test samples. The Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine ( Version 2012 ) was adopted to establish multi-wavelength switching HPLC fingerprints, followed by chromatographic peak identification and similarity evaluation. Cluster analysis, principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis were applied to conduct chemical pattern recognition on the 15 batches of samples. The multi-wavelength switching HPLC method was used to simultaneously determine the contents of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, forsythoside A, baicalin, salvianoli c acid B and wogonoside in samples. RESULTS A total of 25 common peaks were calibrated in the fingerprints of 15 batches of Jinbei oral liquid, among which 7 common peaks were unambiguously identified. The similarity of all samples was higher than 0.960. Chemical pattern recognition results showed that samples S1-S8 were clustered into group 1, and samples S9-S15 were clustered into group 2. Baicalin, wogonoside, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid and salvianolic acid B were identified as the differential quality markers. The average contents of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, forsythoside A, baicalin, salvianolic acid B and wogonoside in 15 batches of Jinbei oral liquid were 0.213 7, 0.085 3, 0.104 9, 0.287 3, 0.420 1, 0.062 1, 0.176 0 mg/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The established quality control method for Jinbei oral liquid combining multi-wavelength switching HPLC fingerprint, chemical pattern recognition and multi-index content determination is stable and reliable, which can provide a reference for the formulation of quality standards of this preparation.
6.Construction and validation of a machine learning-based risk assessment model for post-transplant diabetes mellitus
Hao WANG ; Yongqiang FAN ; Zhiyong SHI ; Rui ZHANG ; Yan WANG ; Jun XU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(8):1894-1901
ObjectiveTo construct and validate a risk assessment model for post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) using multiple machine learning algorithms, and to realize the early identification of PTDM. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of the patients who underwent allogeneic liver transplantation in The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from April 1, 2020 to December 31, 2024, and they were randomly divided into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 7∶3. The LASSO regression analysis combined with 5-fold cross-validation was used for feature selection. Seven machine learning models were developed in the training set, i.e., logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), Naive Bayes (NB), random forest (RF), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and adaptive boosting (AdaBoost). In the validation set, various methods were used to assess the predictive performance of each model, such as accuracy, precision, recall rate, specificity, F1 score, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC). The Brier score and decision curve analysis were used to assess the calibration and clinical practicability of the models, and the SHAP method was used to analyze feature importance. The independent-samples t test or the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. ResultsA total of 135 liver transplant recipients were enrolled, among whom 26 developed PTDM, and there were 94 patients in the training set and 41 in the validation set. Feature extraction and screening identified 7 key features of sex, overweight or obesity, anhepatic phase, time of operation, length of hospital stay, early postoperative hypomagnesemia, and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). In the validation set, the XGBoost model showed the best predictive performance, with an AUROC of 0.907 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.807 — 0.989), an AUPRC of 0.649 (95%CI: 0.339 — 0.955), an accuracy of 0.878, a precision of 0.667, a recall rate of 0.750, an F1-score of 0.706, a specificity of 0.909, and a Brier score of 0.104. The decision curve analysis showed that when the threshold probability was below 0.667, application of the XGBoost model in clinical decision-making provided relatively high net benefit. The SHAP analysis showed that the length of hospital stay ranked first in terms of feature importance, followed by time of operation, overweight or obesity, sex, IFG, anhepatic phase, and early postoperative hypomagnesemia. ConclusionThe risk assessment model for PTDM in liver transplant recipients based on XGBoost algorithm has excellent performance and can effectively identify high-risk individuals; however, multicenter large-sample data are needed for further validation.
7.Association mechanisms between the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and multi-system comorbidities and integrated management strategies
Liping WANG ; Ya LI ; Yuebo REN ; Tingting HE ; Zhongxia WANG ; Liping YAN ; Simiao YU ; Jing JING ; Yongqiang SUN ; Aozhe ZHANG ; Xin WANG ; Xiaohe XIAO ; Yinying LU ; Ruilin WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(8):1933-1938
Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Its pathological process is centered on the “two-hit” theory, with gut-liver axis dysregulation running through the entire disease course from steatosis to liver cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma, and it forms an extensive cross-system regulatory mechanism with the metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, and psychological and nervous systems through multi-dimensional pathways such as the “gut-liver-brain axis”, the “liver-kidney axis”, and the “liver-heart axis”. Disease progression is not limited to the liver itself, and it also involves functional imbalance of multiple organ systems throughout the body. This article systematically elaborates on the association mechanism of “liver pathological progression-multi-axis regulation-comorbidity occurrence” in MAFLD, proposes synergistic management strategies integrating early screening based on risk stratification, targeted intervention, and multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment, and analyzes the limitations of current research and future development directions, in order to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for precise diagnosis and treatment and individualized management of MAFLD.
8.The Effect of Fuzheng Huaji Formula (扶正化积方) for Chronic Hepatitis B on Reduction of the Incidence of Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma:A Retrospective Cohort Study
Simiao YU ; Jiahui LI ; Jing JING ; Tingting HE ; Yongqiang SUN ; Liping WANG ; Aozhe ZHANG ; Xiaohe XIAO ; Xia DING ; Ruilin WANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(3):268-274
ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Fuzheng Huaji Formula (扶正化积方) for chronic hepatitis B to reduce the incidence of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted, collecting medical records of 118 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 234 patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis who visited the hospital between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018. The use of Fuzheng Huaji Formula was designated as the exposure factor. Patients receiving antiviral treatment for hepatitis B without concurrent Fuzheng Huaji Formula therapy were included in the western medicine group, while those receiving antiviral treatment combined with Fuzheng Huaji Formula for a cumulative treatment lasting longer than 3 months were included in the combined treatment group. The follow-up observation period was five years. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the cumulative incidence of cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B and the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to examine the factors influencing the occurrence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. ResultsAmong patients with chronic hepatitis B, there were 55 cases in the combined treatment group and 63 cases in the western medicine group; among patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis, there were 110 cases in the combined treatment group and 124 cases in the western medicine group. Five-year follow-up outcomes for chronic hepatitis B patients showed that the cumulative incidence of cirrhosis was 5.45% (3/55) in the combined treatment group and 17.46% (11/63) in the western medicine group, with a statistically significant difference between groups (Z = 2.003, P = 0.045). Five-year follow-up outcomes for hepatitis B-related cirrhosis patients showed that the cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was 8.18% (9/110) in the combined treatment group and 22.58% (28/124) in the western medicine group, also showing a statistically significant difference (Z = 3.007, P = 0.003). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that treatment with Fuzheng Huaji Formula is an independent protective factor in preventing the progression of chronic hepatitis B to cirrhosis and the progression of hepatitis B-related cirrhosis to hepatocellular carcinoma (P<0.05). ConclusionCombining Fuzheng Huaji Formula with antiviral therapy for hepatitis B can effectively intervene in the disease progression of chronic hepatitis B, reducing the incidence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
9.Study on the relationship between serum S100A4,S100A12 and the infection types and prognosis of neonatal infectious pneumonia
Shuxia ZHANG ; Chengli ZOU ; Xiaolong WANG ; Yongqiang WANG ; Yulin YANG ; Zhongjie HE
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;46(14):1676-1681,1688
Objective To explore the relationship between serum S100 calcium-binding protein(S100)A4,S100A12 and the infection type and prognosis of neonatal infectious pneumonia(NIP).Methods A total of 300 children with NIP admitted to the Neijiang Second People's Hospital from January 2021 to March 2024 were selected and divided into the bacterial infection group(214 cases)and the non-bacterial infection group(86 cases)according to the types of pathogenic bacteria.Another 150 healthy newborns in the same hospital during the same period were selected as the control group.The levels of serum S100A4 and S100A12 were de-tected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the cor-relations between serum S100A4,S100A12 and procalcitonin(PCT),white blood cell count(WBC),albumin(Alb),and platelet count(PLT).The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the differential value of serum S100A4,S100A12,PCT,WBC,Alb,and PLT alone and in combination for NIP bac-terial infection.According to the prognosis,children with NIP were divided into the poor prognosis group(63 cases)and the good prognosis group(237 cases).Multivariate Logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of poor prognosis in children with NIP,and ROC curve was used to analyze the value of each factor in predicting poor prognosis in children with NIP.Results The levels of serum S100A4,S100A12,PCT,WBC,and PLT in the bacterial infection group were higher than those in the non-bacterial infection group and the control group,while Alb was lower than that in the non-bacterial infection group and the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that serum S100A4 and S100A12 in children with NIP were positively correlated with PCT,WBC and PLT(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with Alb(P<0.05).The results of ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of serum S100A4 and S100A12 in differentiating NIP infection types was slightly lower than that of PCT,WBC,Alb,and PLT in differentiating NIP infection types.The results of multivariate Logistic re-gression analysis showed that elevated S100A4,elevated S100A12,elevated PCT,bacterial infection,and lung consolidation were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in children with NIP(P<0.05).The AUC of bacterial infection,lung consolidation,PCT,S100A4,and S100A12 for predicting the poor prognosis of chil-dren with NIP was 0.903.It was greater than the AUC predicted separately by bacterial infection,lung consol-idation,PCT,S100A4,and S100A12 levels(Z=9.989,9.460,5.514,4.084,4.376,P<0.001).Conclusion The combination of serum S100A4 and S100A12 with traditional markers has certain discrimina-tory value for the infection types of NIP,and the levels of serum S100A4 and S100A12 are related to the prog-nosis of NIP.
10.Thoughts on the Integration,Inheritance,and Innovative Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Plateau Region
Wei ZHOU ; Yongqiang ZHOU ; Zhexin NI ; Zhixing WANG ; Tiantian XIA ; Yue GAO
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(4):918-923
To promote the high-quality development of healthcare in the highland areas and to enable traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)to make a more prominent contribution to the healthcare of the people in these areas,it is imperative to clarify the roles of TCM in the formation of the healthcare system in the past and present,as well as the direction of innovative development of TCM in the plateau in the future.To this end,this paper first systematically reviews the literature to summarize the influence of TCM on the cultural background,theoretical framework,and practical system of Tibetan medicine during its origin,development,and maturation;then,through the example of typical cases,it elaborates on the direct practical applications of TCM in the prevention and treatment of a series of highland diseases from the perspectives of pathogenesis,therapeutic principles,unique drugs,and techniques;finally,it deeply reflects on a series of problems restricting the integration,inheritance,and innovative development of TCM in the highland areas and puts forward targeted suggestions to enable TCM to serve and safeguard the health of people living in the plateaus better together with the local ethnic medicine.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail