1.Research progress on escape-related strategies for preventing complex upper ureteral calculi
Hao LIU ; Yulong LUO ; Jianxin HU
Journal of Modern Urology 2026;31(6):586-591
During ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy for complex upper ureteral calculi, stone fragments are prone to migrate into the kidney, leading to a decreased primary stone-free rate and increased need for secondary surgeries and healthcare costs.Based on recent clinical studies and literature evidence, this article summarizes and compares strategies for preventing stone escape during ureteroscopic treatment.Comprehensive analysis of existing research indicates that auxiliary measures, such as instrument coordination, physical interception, or negative pressure suction, demonstrate potential clinical value in preventing stone migration, with devices like the NTrap basket showing relatively prominent efficacy.However, most related studies are single-center retrospective analyses, and further validation through multicenter randomized controlled trials is needed to guide individualized treatment selection.This review outlines advances in the prevention and management of stone escape for clinical reference.
2.Effect of Zhinao Capsules on Mild and Moderate Sleep Disorders in Alzheimer's Disease Patients with Syndrome of Spleen-kidney Deficiency and Combined Phlegm and Stasis
Hu XI ; Wenming YANG ; Wenting XIE ; Yue YANG ; Shu ZHAI ; Hao LI ; Yulong YANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(20):171-180
ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Zhinao capsules in the treatment of mild and moderate sleep disorders in Alzheimer's disease patients with the syndrome of spleen-kidney deficiency and combined phlegm and stasis. MethodsA randomized, double-blind, placebo, controlled clinical trial design was adopted, and 60 Alzheimer's disease patients aged 50-85 years with mild and moderate sleep disorders due to spleen-kidney deficiency and combined phlegm and stasis were included. According to the randomized numble table method, the patients were assigned into a treatment group and a control group (30 in each group, with 29 patients in the treatment group and 28 patients in the control group finally completing the trial). The treatment group was treated with donepezil hydrochloride tablets combined with Zhinao capsules, and the control group was treated with donepezil hydrochloride tablets combined with the simulant of Zhinao capsules for 12 weeks. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), smart bracelet sleep monitoring, epworth sleeping scale (ESS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and traditional Chinese medicine symptoms were scored. Furthermore, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels were measured. ResultsAfter 12 weeks of treatment, the total response rate of clinical efficacy assessment in the treatment group reached 89.7%, which was significantly higher than that (21.4%) in the control group (Z=-5.14, P<0.01). After treatment, the TCM symptom scores declined in both groups (P<0.01), and the scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). After treatment, the treatment group showed decreased total score and seven component scores of the PSQI scale (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). After treatment, the treatment group showed increases in the duration of deep sleep, light sleep, rapid eye movement sleep, and total sleep at night and decreases in the time to fall asleep, the number of awakenings from sleep at night, and the time for sporadic daytime naps (P<0.01). The control group did not show significant changes in the duration of light sleep, time to fall asleep, and number of awakenings from sleep at night. Moreover, the treatment group outperformed the control group in terms of the indicators above (P<0.05, P<0.01). After treatment, the treatment group showed decreased scores of ESS, ADL and its subscales physical self-maintenance scale (PSMS), and Instrumental Activities of daily living scale (IADLs) and increased score of MMSE and levels of BDNF and GABA (P<0.05, P<0.01). There was no significant difference in PSMS between the two groups, and the treatment group was significantly better than the control group in terms of the rest of the above indicators (P<0.05, P<0.01). Patients in neither groups complained of uncomfortable symptoms. ConclusionZhinao capsules have significant clinical efficacy in treating patients with mild and moderate sleep disorders in Alzheimer's disease patients with the syndrome of spleen-kidney deficiency and combined phlegm and stasis. Zhinao capsules can significantly reduce PSQI, ESS, and ADL scores, increase the MMSE score and the expression of BDNF and GABA, effectively optimize the structure of sleep, improve the intelligence, and enhance the ability of daily life, without causing uncomfortable symptoms. The mechanism may be related to the increase in the expression of sleep/wake-related neurotransmitters.
3.Effect of Zhinao Capsules on Mild and Moderate Sleep Disorders in Alzheimer's Disease Patients with Syndrome of Spleen-kidney Deficiency and Combined Phlegm and Stasis
Hu XI ; Wenming YANG ; Wenting XIE ; Yue YANG ; Shu ZHAI ; Hao LI ; Yulong YANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(20):171-180
ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Zhinao capsules in the treatment of mild and moderate sleep disorders in Alzheimer's disease patients with the syndrome of spleen-kidney deficiency and combined phlegm and stasis. MethodsA randomized, double-blind, placebo, controlled clinical trial design was adopted, and 60 Alzheimer's disease patients aged 50-85 years with mild and moderate sleep disorders due to spleen-kidney deficiency and combined phlegm and stasis were included. According to the randomized numble table method, the patients were assigned into a treatment group and a control group (30 in each group, with 29 patients in the treatment group and 28 patients in the control group finally completing the trial). The treatment group was treated with donepezil hydrochloride tablets combined with Zhinao capsules, and the control group was treated with donepezil hydrochloride tablets combined with the simulant of Zhinao capsules for 12 weeks. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), smart bracelet sleep monitoring, epworth sleeping scale (ESS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and traditional Chinese medicine symptoms were scored. Furthermore, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels were measured. ResultsAfter 12 weeks of treatment, the total response rate of clinical efficacy assessment in the treatment group reached 89.7%, which was significantly higher than that (21.4%) in the control group (Z=-5.14, P<0.01). After treatment, the TCM symptom scores declined in both groups (P<0.01), and the scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). After treatment, the treatment group showed decreased total score and seven component scores of the PSQI scale (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). After treatment, the treatment group showed increases in the duration of deep sleep, light sleep, rapid eye movement sleep, and total sleep at night and decreases in the time to fall asleep, the number of awakenings from sleep at night, and the time for sporadic daytime naps (P<0.01). The control group did not show significant changes in the duration of light sleep, time to fall asleep, and number of awakenings from sleep at night. Moreover, the treatment group outperformed the control group in terms of the indicators above (P<0.05, P<0.01). After treatment, the treatment group showed decreased scores of ESS, ADL and its subscales physical self-maintenance scale (PSMS), and Instrumental Activities of daily living scale (IADLs) and increased score of MMSE and levels of BDNF and GABA (P<0.05, P<0.01). There was no significant difference in PSMS between the two groups, and the treatment group was significantly better than the control group in terms of the rest of the above indicators (P<0.05, P<0.01). Patients in neither groups complained of uncomfortable symptoms. ConclusionZhinao capsules have significant clinical efficacy in treating patients with mild and moderate sleep disorders in Alzheimer's disease patients with the syndrome of spleen-kidney deficiency and combined phlegm and stasis. Zhinao capsules can significantly reduce PSQI, ESS, and ADL scores, increase the MMSE score and the expression of BDNF and GABA, effectively optimize the structure of sleep, improve the intelligence, and enhance the ability of daily life, without causing uncomfortable symptoms. The mechanism may be related to the increase in the expression of sleep/wake-related neurotransmitters.
4.Correlation between Kayser-Fleischer ring grading and cognitive function in Wilson’s disease
Wei HE ; Yulong YANG ; Wenming YANG ; Yue YANG ; Chen HU ; Hui LI ; Peng HUANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(6):1150-1155
ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation with cognitive function based on a new Kayser-Fleischer ring (K-F ring) grading method in Wilson’s disease (WD). MethodsA total of 136 WD patients who were hospitalized in Encephalopathy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, from April 2022 to October 2023 were enrolled. All subjects underwent slit lamp examination, and the grade of K-F ring was determined according to the shape and extent of copper deposition in the cornea, whether it formed a ring or not, and whether there was a sunflower-like cloudy change in the lens. The patients were instructed to complete UWDRS, MoCA, and MMSE scale assessments, and these indicators were compared between patients with different K-F ring grades. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test (homogeneity of variance) or the Dunnett’s T3 test (heterogeneity of variance) was used for further multiple comparisons; the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation of K-F ring grade with UWDRS, MoCA, and MMSE scores. ResultsAmong the 136 patients with WD, there were 40 patients with grade 4 K-F ring, accounting for the highest proportion of 29.4%, and 14 patients with grade 0 K-F ring, accounting for the lowest proportion of 10.3%, and there were 22 patients with grade 1 K-F ring (16.2%), 19 with grade 2 K-F ring (14%), 25 with grade 3 K-F ring (18.4%), and 16 with grade 5 K-F ring (11.7%). According to the different grades of K-F ring, there was a significant increase in UWDRS score (F=22.61, P<0.001) and significant reductions in MoCA and MMSE scores (F=16.40 and 13.80, both P<0.001). The Spearman correlation analysis showed that K-F ring grade was positively correlated with UWDRS score (r=0.67, P<0.01) and was negatively correlated with MoCA and MMSE scores in WD patients (r=-0.59 and -0.57, both P<0.01). ConclusionThe new K-F ring grading method can determine disease severity in WD patients to a certain degree and partially reflect cognitive function and activities of daily living in such patients.
5.Interpretation of Chinese Expert Consensus on Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Management of Wilson Disease-related Renal Damage
Wenming YANG ; Ke DIAO ; Hu XI ; Zhihong RAO ; Taohua WEI ; Yulong YANG ; Shuzhen FANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(20):168-176
Wilson disease is a copper metabolism disorder caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene, which encodes a copper-transporting ATPase β, and can result in multisystem damage. The kidneys are the third most commonly affected organs after the liver and brain. In recent years, numerous diagnostic and treatment guidelines for Wilson disease have emerged. However, most of these focus primarily on hepatic and neurological manifestations and their management, with limited coverage of renal involvement. The high incidence, low awareness, and lack of clinical specificity of Wilson disease-related renal damage (WDRD) have made early detection and intervention particularly challenging in clinical practice. To further optimize the treatment of patients with WDRD, improve clinical diagnosis and management, and enhance patients' quality of life, the Neurology Committee of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine, in April 2024, initiated a revision of the first expert consensus on the integrated diagnosis, treatment, and management of WDRD. This effort brought together experts in hepatology, encephalopathy (neurology), and nephrology from many tertiary-level grade A hospitals and research institutions across China. Through comprehensive literature review and integration of frontline clinical experience, the expert group jointly developed Chinese Expert Consensus on Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Management of Wilson Disease-related Renal Damage (hereinafter referred to as the "Consensus"). This article provides a detailed interpretation of the Consensus in terms of diagnostic criteria, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation and treatment classification, and comprehensive disease management, aiming to better guide clinical application. Regarding diagnostic criteria, the Consensus integrates the latest standards in China and abroad, highlights the importance of biochemical diagnosis, and compensates for the limitations of genetic testing. In the area of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment, the Consensus refines four major syndrome types, introduces a newly defined syndrome, i.e., phlegm, blood stasis, and heat accumulation, and elaborates on treatment principles, prescriptions, and clinical modification rules for each syndrome. For comprehensive disease management, the Consensus emphasizes multi-dimensional intervention strategies, including diet, exercise, emotional regulation, medication, and medical care, with the goal of maximally controlling the progression of renal dysfunction and helping patients achieve a better quality of life.
6.A critical role for Phocaeicola vulgatus in negatively impacting metformin response in diabetes.
Manyun CHEN ; Yilei PENG ; Yuhui HU ; Zhiqiang KANG ; Ting CHEN ; Yulong ZHANG ; Xiaoping CHEN ; Qing LI ; Zuyi YUAN ; Yue WU ; Heng XU ; Gan ZHOU ; Tao LIU ; Honghao ZHOU ; Chunsu YUAN ; Weihua HUANG ; Wei ZHANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(5):2511-2528
Metformin has been demonstrated to attenuate hyperglycaemia by modulating the gut microbiota. However, the mechanisms through which the microbiome mediates metformin monotherapy failure (MMF) are unclear. Herein, in a prospective clinical cohort study of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients treated with metformin monotherapy, metagenomic sequencing of faecal samples revealed that Phocaeicola vulgatus abundance was approximately 12 times higher in nonresponders than in responders. P. vulgatus rapidly hydrolysed taurine-conjugated bile acids, leading to ceramide accumulation and reversing the improvements in glucose intolerance conferred by metformin in high-fat diet-fed mice. Interestingly, C22:0 ceramide bound to mitochondrial fission factor to induce mitochondrial fragmentation and impair hepatic oxidative phosphorylation in P. vulgatus-colonized hyperglycaemic mice, which could be exacerbated by metformin. This work suggests that metformin may be unsuitable for P. vulgatus-rich T2DM patients and that clinicians should be aware of metformin toxicity to mitochondria. Suppressing P. vulgatus growth with cefaclor or improving mitochondrial function using adenosylcobalamin may represent simple, safe, effective therapeutic strategies for addressing MMF.
7.Risk factors for sarcopenia in patients with Wilson’s disease-related liver cirrhosis and their impact on clinical outcomes
Weiqi WANG ; Taohua WEI ; Nannan QIAN ; Wenming YANG ; Yulong YANG ; Yuqi SONG ; Wenjie HAO ; Yue YANG ; Hu XI ; Wei HE
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(10):2075-2081
ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence rate of sarcopenia in patients with Wilson’s disease (WD)-related liver cirrhosis, as well as the risk factors for sarcopenia and their impact on clinical outcomes. MethodsA total of 140 patients with WD-related liver cirrhosis who were treated in The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 2019 to June 2020, and according to the third lumbar skeletal muscle mass index (L3 SMI), the patients were divided into sarcopenia group and non-sarcopenia group. Nutritional risk screening, anthropometric measurements, and blood biochemical tests were performed for the patients to identify the influencing factors for sarcopenia. The patients were followed up for 36 — 48 months, and survival status and complications were compared between the two groups. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test were used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A binary Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for sarcopenia, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to investigate the risk factors for the prognosis of patients with WD-related liver cirrhosis. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted, and the Log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. ResultsAmong the 140 patients with WD-related liver cirrhosis, 53 (37.9%) developed sarcopenia, with significantly lower body mass index (BMI) and L3 SMI than the patients without sarcopenia (t=10.550 and 3.982, both P<0.001). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR]=2.243, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.196 — 4.208, P=0.012), sex (OR=0.450, 95%CI: 0.232 — 0.872, P=0.018), BMI (OR=0.126, 95%CI: 0.089 — 0.294, P<0.001), and hepatic encephalopathy (OR=8.367, 95%CI: 2.423 — 28.897, P<0.001) were the main influencing factors for sarcopenia in patients with WD-related liver cirrhosis. Compared with the non-sarcopenia group, the sarcopenia group had significantly higher mortality rate (χ2=6.158, P=0.019) and significantly higher incidence rates of infection (χ2=8.008, P=0.040), recurrent abdominal/pleural efflux (χ2=17.742, P<0.001), and hepatic encephalopathy (χ2=4.338, P=0.039). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR]=4.685, P=0.002) and hepatic encephalopathy (HR=19.156, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for death in patients with WD-related liver cirrhosis. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed a significant reduction in survival rate in the patients with sarcopenia (P=0.003). ConclusionSarcopenia is one of the manifestations of malnutrition in patients with WD-related liver cirrhosis, which increases the risk of mortality and other complications and has an adverse effect on prognosis. There is an increased risk of sarcopenia in male patients or patients with hepatic encephalopathy, a lower level of BMI or an older age.
8.Advances in pharmacogenomics for the treatment of type 2 diabetes
Yulong MA ; Yalong LI ; Xiaoxia HU ; Gengxue JING ; Xinyue LIU
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;46(3):349-353
Hypoglycemic drugs are an important means of treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes.However,poor,ineffective and even adverse drug reactions often occur in clinical treatment.With the develop-ment of pharmacogenomics,the link between individual genetic variation and drug dose and treatment re-sponse is becoming clearer,resulting in better efficacy and fewer adverse reactions for patients.This article fo-cuses on hypoglycemic drugs and reviews the latest advances in pharmacogenomics,so as to provide references for individualized treatment of type 2 diabetes and prevention of corresponding complications until the realiza-tion of precision medicine
9.Establishing Quantitative Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnostic Rules of Diabetes Based on Constrained Latent Tree Analysis
Yulong XU ; Jinhua CHEN ; Honglei ZHU ; Yali LYU ; Jingqing HU ; Lianwen ZHANG
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(2):452-459
The classical latent structure method does not consider the influence of primary and secondary symptoms,syndromes and symptoms in the analysis and modeling of syndromes.In this paper,based on the data of damp-heat in intestine and stomach syndrome involving 1087 diabetic patients,the classical latent structure analysis was used to obtain the quantitative syndrome diagnostic rules.Then,using Constrained Latent Tree Analysis(CLTA),the quantitative syndrome diagnostic rules containing primary and secondary symptoms were obtained as follows,primary symptoms include halitosis(2.3),yellow tongue coating(2),abdominal distension(2.3),greasy tongue coating(2.1),loose stool or loose stool(1.5),red tongue(1.3),smooth pulse(1.4).Secondary symptoms include epigastric distension(1.1).Compared with the traditional latent structure analysis method,the rules established by CLTA are more compatible with the concept of differentiating primary and secondary symptoms and the common practice of TCM.The quantitative syndrome diagnostic rules of damp-heat in intestine and stomach syndrome constructed by the CLTA method have considerable objectivity in the modeling process.The diagnostic rules established were also compatible with the qualitative concept of TCM theory in stratifying primary and secondary symptoms.Finally,the diagnostic rules are obtained by logistic regression analysis,and the accuracy of the three rules is compared.The results show that the rule recognition accuracy obtained by CLTA is the highest.Therefore,the syndrome diagnostic rules of damp-heat in intestine and stomach obtained from the analysis of CLTA are in line with the constraint semantics of primary and secondary diseases and the theory of traditional Chinese medicine.
10.Consensus of experts on the management of thoracic anesthesia with spontaneous respiration
Qisen FAN ; Lan LAN ; Jingxiang WU ; Yuan QIU ; Guiping XU ; Jiang WANG ; Duozhi WU ; Jinhui LUO ; Jian RAN ; Ying-fen LI ; Peng PAN ; Bing ZHANG ; Yuelan ZHOU ; Yiwen ZHANG ; Xuebing XU ; Yatao LIU ; Yingbin WANG ; Yan WANG ; Yulong WANG ; Youyang HU ; Shoushi WANG ; Hongwei MENG ; Haixia XU ; Peijia TANG ; Xia-oxue ZHUANG ; Canzhou ZHANG
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(13):1945-1951
Thoracic anesthesia with spontaneous respiration represents a form of precision anesthesia meticulously customized to individual patients.Considering the more stringent requirements this anesthesia approach imposes on the regulation of respiratory function,the writing group of the"Consensus of Experts on the Management of Thoracic Anesthesia with Spontaneous Respiration"has formulated elaborate guidelines regarding indications and contraindications,preoperative evaluation,anesthesia implementation,common complications,and treatment strategies.This was accomplished by referencing relevant domestic and international literature and integrating it with actual clinical requirements.The objective is to standardize the rational application of this anesthesia method.

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