1.Hypoglycemic Effect and Mechanism of ICK Pattern Peptides
Lin-Fang CHEN ; Jia-Fan ZHANG ; Ye-Ning GUO ; Hui-Zhong HUANG ; Kang-Hong HU ; Chen-Guang YAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):50-60
Diabetes is a very complex endocrine disease whose common feature is the increase in blood glucose concentration. Persistent hyperglycemia can lead to blindness, kidney and heart disease, neurodegeneration, and many other serious complications that have a significant impact on human health and quality of life. The number of people with diabetes is increasing yearly. The global diabetes prevalence in 20-79 year olds in 2021 was estimated to be 10.5% (536.6 million), and it will rise to 12.2% (783.2 million) in 2045. The main modes of intervention for diabetes include medication, dietary management, and exercise conditioning. Medication is the mainstay of treatment. Marketed diabetes drugs such as metformin and insulin, as well as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are effective in controlling blood sugar levels to some extent, but the preventive and therapeutic effects are still unsatisfactory. Peptide drugs have many advantages such as low toxicity, high target specificity, and good biocompatibility, which opens up new avenues for the treatment of diabetes and other diseases. Currently, insulin and its analogs are by far the main life-saving drugs in clinical diabetes treatment, enabling effective control of blood glucose levels, but the risk of hypoglycemia is relatively high and treatment is limited by the route of delivery. New and oral anti-diabetic drugs have always been a market demand and research hotspot. Inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) peptides are a class of multifunctional cyclic peptides. In structure, they contain three conserved disulfide bonds (C3-C20, C7-C22, and C15-C32) form a compact “knot” structure, which can resist degradation of digestive protease. Recent studies have shown that ICK peptides derived from legume, such as PA1b, Aglycin, Vglycin, Iglycin, Dglycin, and aM1, exhibit excellent regulatory activities on glucose and lipid metabolism at the cellular and animal levels. Mechanistically, ICK peptides promote glucose utilization by muscle and liver through activation of IR/AKT signaling pathway, which also improves insulin resistance. They can repair the damaged pancrease through activation of PI3K/AKT/Erk signaling pathway, thus lowering blood glucose. The biostability and hypoglycemic efficacy of the ICK peptides meet the requirements for commercialization of oral drugs, and in theory, they can be developed into natural oral anti-diabetes peptide drugs. In this review, the structural properties, activity and mechanism of ICK pattern peptides in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism were summaried, which provided a reference for the development of new oral peptides for diabetes.
2.Applications of EEG Biomarkers in The Assessment of Disorders of Consciousness
Zhong-Peng WANG ; Jia LIU ; Long CHEN ; Min-Peng XU ; Dong MING
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):899-914
Disorders of consciousness (DOC) are pathological conditions characterized by severely suppressed brain function and the persistent interruption or loss of consciousness. Accurate diagnosis and evaluation of DOC are prerequisites for precise treatment. Traditional assessment methods are primarily based on behavioral scales, which are inherently subjective and rely on observable behaviors. Moreover, traditional methods have a high misdiagnosis rate, particularly in distinguishing minimally conscious state (MCS) from vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS). This diagnostic uncertainty has driven the exploration of objective, reliable, and efficient assessment tools. Among these tools, electroencephalography (EEG) has garnered significant attention for its non-invasive nature, portability, and ability to capture real-time neurodynamics. This paper systematically reviews the application of EEG biomarkers in DOC assessment. These biomarkers are categorized into 3 main types: resting-state EEG features, task-related EEG features, and features derived from transcranial magnetic stimulation-EEG (TMS-EEG). Resting-state EEG biomarkers include features based on spectrum, microstates, nonlinear dynamics, and brain network metrics. These biomarkers provide baseline representations of brain activity in DOC patients. Studies have shown their ability to distinguish different levels of consciousness and predict clinical outcomes. However, because they are not task-specific, they are challenging to directly associate with specific brain functions or cognitive processes. Strengthening the correlation between resting-state EEG features and consciousness-related networks could offer more direct evidence for the pathophysiological mechanisms of DOC. Task-related EEG features include event-related potentials, event-related spectral modulations, and phase-related features. These features reveal the brain’s responses to external stimuli and provide dynamic information about residual cognitive functions, reflecting neurophysiological changes associated with specific cognitive, sensory, or behavioral tasks. Although these biomarkers demonstrate substantial value, their effectiveness rely on patient cooperation and task design. Developing experimental paradigms that are more effective at eliciting specific EEG features or creating composite paradigms capable of simultaneously inducing multiple features may more effectively capture the brain activity characteristics of DOC patients, thereby supporting clinical applications. TMS-EEG is a technique for probing the neurodynamics within thalamocortical networks without involving sensory, motor, or cognitive functions. Parameters such as the perturbational complexity index (PCI) have been proposed as reliable indicators of consciousness, providing objective quantification of cortical dynamics. However, despite its high sensitivity and objectivity compared to traditional EEG methods, TMS-EEG is constrained by physiological artifacts, operational complexity, and variability in stimulation parameters and targets across individuals. Future research should aim to standardize experimental protocols, optimize stimulation parameters, and develop automated analysis techniques to improve the feasibility of TMS-EEG in clinical applications. Our analysis suggests that no single EEG biomarker currently achieves an ideal balance between accuracy, robustness, and generalizability. Progress is constrained by inconsistencies in analysis methods, parameter settings, and experimental conditions. Additionally, the heterogeneity of DOC etiologies and dynamic changes in brain function add to the complexity of assessment. Future research should focus on the standardization of EEG biomarker research, integrating features from resting-state, task-related, and TMS-EEG paradigms to construct multimodal diagnostic models that enhance evaluation efficiency and accuracy. Multimodal data integration (e.g., combining EEG with functional near-infrared spectroscopy) and advancements in source localization algorithms can further improve the spatial precision of biomarkers. Leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to develop intelligent diagnostic tools will accelerate the clinical adoption of EEG biomarkers in DOC diagnosis and prognosis, allowing for more precise evaluations of consciousness states and personalized treatment strategies.
3.Research progress on the mechanism of action of traditional Chinese medicine regulating Nrf2 signaling pathway to improve sepsis-induced lung injury
Yang LI ; Ruifen ZHANG ; Tingting JIA ; Hairong ZHANG ; Jian ZHAO ; Xinsheng HUANG ; Xiao LI ; Xin ZHONG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(12):1530-1535
Sepsis-induced lung injury is a common type of sepsis complicated with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, whose uncontrolled inflammatory response and oxidative stress are the key pathological mechanisms. As an important pathway of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress, the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway is very important in the occurrence and development of sepsis-induced lung injury. This review summarizes relevant research conducted over the past decade on the regulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to ameliorate sepsis- induced lung injury. It has been found that 14 kinds of TCM effective ingredients (including five types of compounds: flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, saponins, phenols) and 6 kinds of compound preparations (including three types of formulas: heat-clearing and detoxifying formulas, purgative formulas for promoting bowel movement, and formulas for reinforcing vital qi and consolidating the constitution) can inhibit inflammatory responses and oxidative stress by activating Nrf2 signaling pathway and intervening in related pathways such as those involving Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1, heme oxygenase-1, antioxidant response element and AMP-activated protein kinase, thereby alleviating sepsis-induced lung injury.
4.Research progress on female reproductive toxicity of bisphenols
Jia PENG ; Xiangzhu YAN ; Jiasi LIU ; Xiaopeng ZHONG ; Simin YAO ; Yiyan MA ; Shuhua TAN
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(7):862-869
Bisphenols (BPs) are extensively used in food packaging, personal care products, and plastics, making them prevalent in both living and working environments, which has raised significant concern. As endocrine-disrupting chemicals, BPs exert toxic effects on the female reproductive system by binding to estrogen receptors, thereby activating or inhibiting the expression of genes related to reproductive functions, which disrupts the normal function of the endocrine system. This paper reviewed the effects of bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS), and bisphenol F (BPF) on female reproductive function, focusing on three key aspects: the effects on the female reproductive organs, the occurrence of associated reproductive disorders, and the mechanisms of toxicity. Specifically, this review highlighted the effects on ovarian function, uterine morphology and function, and fallopian tube function, as well as their correlation with polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, miscarriage, and eclampsia. Additionally, the toxic mechanisms of BPs exposure were summarized, providing a scientific basis for future research on the impact of BPs on the female reproductive system, as well as for the assessment of potential health risks and the development of preventive measures.
5.Analysis of syncopal DRVR in blood donors: multicenter hemovigilance data (2020—2023)
Junhong YANG ; Qing XU ; Wenqin ZHU ; Fei TANG ; Ruru HE ; Zhenping LU ; Zhujiang YE ; Fade ZHONG ; Gang WU ; Guoqiang FENG ; Xiaojie GUO ; Jia ZENG ; Xia HUANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2025;38(8):1071-1076
Objective: Data on syncopal donation-related vasovagal reaction (DRVR) collected from 74 blood centers between 2020 and 2023 was statistically analyzed to provide a reference for developing preventive strategies against syncopal DRVR. Methods: Data on blood donation adverse reactions and basic information of donors from 2020 to 2023 were collected through the information management system at monitoring sentinel sites. Statistical analysis was performed on the following aspects of syncopal DRVR: characteristics of donors who experienced syncope, reported incidence, triggers, duration, presence and occurrence time of syncope-related trauma, clinical management including outpatient and inpatient treatment, and severity grading. Results: From 2020 to 2023, 45 966 donation-related adverse reactions were recorded. Of these, 1 665 (3.72%) cases were syncopal DRVR. The incidence of syncopal DRVR decreased with age, being the highest in the 18-22 age group. Incidence was significantly higher in female donors than male donors, in first-time donors than repeat donors, and in university and individual donors than group donors (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference among different blood donation locations (P>0.05). The top three triggers were tension, fatigue, and needle phobia or fear of blood. Among syncopal DRVR cases, 60.36% occurred during blood collection, 87.63% lasted for less than 60 seconds, and 5.05% were accompanied by trauma. Notably, 57.14% of these traumas occurred after donor had left the blood collection site. Syncope severity was graded based on required treatment: grade 1 (fully recovered without treatment, 95.50%); grade 2 (recovered after outpatient treatment, 4.02%); and grade 3 (recovered after inpatient treatment, 0.48%). Conclusion: By analyzing the data of syncopal DRVR cases, it is possible to provide a reference for formulating blood donor safety policies.
6.Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal attainment and mortality in ischaemic heart disease: a two-year observational study.
Ying Hui MAK ; Fionn CHUA ; Xuan Han KOH ; Vern Hsen TAN ; Zhong Hui LEE ; Audrey LAM ; Kim Leng TONG ; Colin YEO ; Weien CHOW ; Wann Jia LOH
Singapore medical journal 2025;66(3):154-162
INTRODUCTION:
Achieving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels is key to preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular events. However, many high-risk cardiovascular patients still experience poor LDL-C goal attainment and receive suboptimal lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) prescriptions. Herein, we evaluated LLT prescription patterns, LDL-C goal attainment and cardiovascular mortality among this population group in Singapore.
METHODS:
This prospective observational cohort study included 555 patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) admitted to the hospital in 2020. The LLT prescriptions, corresponding LDL-C levels and cardiovascular outcomes were assessed over a 24-month period.
RESULTS:
Most participants were male (82.3%), with 48.5% identified as Chinese. High-intensity statin prescriptions increased from 45.4% at hospital admission to 87.1% at discharge and remained stable at approximately 80% at 6, 12, and 24 months post-discharge. Combination LLT prescriptions increased from 12.3% at discharge to 33.8% by 24 months. Ezetimibe was the most commonly prescribed second-line LLT (40.8%), followed by inclisiran (1.09%) and anti-proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 monoclonal antibody therapies (0.87%). Over 24 months, LDL-C goal attainment rates were 22.1% for LDL-C < 1.4 mmol/L and 47.2% for LDL-C < 1.8 mmol/L. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression indicated that achieving LDL-C < 1.8 mmol/L goal was associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality at 24 months (hazard ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.30-0.94, P = 0.030).
CONCLUSION
Treatment gaps in lipid management persist in 80% of the study population, indicating that statin monotherapy alone is insufficient to achieve LDL-C goals. Greater efforts to improve LDL-C goal attainment rates in high-risk cardiovascular patients are imperative.
Humans
;
Male
;
Cholesterol, LDL/blood*
;
Female
;
Myocardial Ischemia/drug therapy*
;
Middle Aged
;
Prospective Studies
;
Aged
;
Singapore/epidemiology*
;
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
;
Ezetimibe/therapeutic use*
;
Anticholesteremic Agents/therapeutic use*
;
Treatment Outcome
7.Clinical practice guidelines for perioperative multimodality treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.
Wenjie JIAO ; Liang ZHAO ; Jiandong MEI ; Jia ZHONG ; Yongfeng YU ; Nan BI ; Lan ZHANG ; Lvhua WANG ; Xiaolong FU ; Jie WANG ; Shun LU ; Lunxu LIU ; Shugeng GAO
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(21):2702-2721
BACKGROUND:
Lung cancer is currently the most prevalent malignancy and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Although the early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) presents a relatively good prognosis, a considerable number of lung cancer cases are still detected and diagnosed at locally advanced or late stages. Surgical treatment combined with perioperative multimodality treatment is the mainstay of treatment for locally advanced NSCLC and has been shown to improve patient survival. Following the standard methods of neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, postoperative adjuvant therapy, and other therapeutic strategies are important for improving patients' prognosis and quality of life. However, controversies remain over the perioperative management of NSCLC and presently consensus and standardized guidelines are lacking for addressing critical clinical issues in multimodality treatment.
METHODS:
The working group consisted of 125 multidisciplinary experts from thoracic surgery, medical oncology, radiotherapy, epidemiology, and psychology. This guideline was developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The clinical questions were collected and selected based on preliminary open-ended questionnaires and subsequent discussions during the Guideline Working Group meetings. PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for available evidence. The GRADE system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence and grade the strengths of recommendations. Finally, the recommendations were developed through a structured consensus-building process.
RESULTS:
The Guideline Development Group initially collected a total of 62 important clinical questions. After a series of consensus-building conferences, 24 clinical questions were identified and corresponding recommendations were ultimately developed, focusing on neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, adjuvant therapy, postoperative psychological rehabilitation, prognosis assement, and follow-up protocols for NSCLC.
CONCLUSIONS
This guideline puts forward reasonable recommendations focusing on neoadjuvant therapy, perioperative management, adjuvant therapy, postoperative psychological rehabilitation, prognosis assessment, and follow-up protocol of NSCLC. It standardizes perioperative multimodality treatment and provides guidance for clinical practice among thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiotherapists, aiming to reduce postoperative recurrence, improve patient survival, accelerate recovery, and minimize postoperative complications such as atelectasis.
Humans
;
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/therapy*
;
Lung Neoplasms/therapy*
;
Combined Modality Therapy
;
Perioperative Care
8.Programmed death-ligand 1 tumor proportion score in predicting the safety and efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 antibody-based therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A retrospective, multicenter, observational study.
Yuequan SHI ; Xiaoyan LIU ; Anwen LIU ; Jian FANG ; Qingwei MENG ; Cuimin DING ; Bin AI ; Yangchun GU ; Cuiying ZHANG ; Chengzhi ZHOU ; Yan WANG ; Yongjie SHUI ; Siyuan YU ; Dongming ZHANG ; Jia LIU ; Haoran ZHANG ; Qing ZHOU ; Xiaoxing GAO ; Minjiang CHEN ; Jing ZHAO ; Wei ZHONG ; Yan XU ; Mengzhao WANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(14):1730-1740
BACKGROUND:
This study aimed to investigate programmed death-ligand 1 tumor proportion score in predicting the safety and efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 antibody-based therapy in treating patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a real-world setting.
METHODS:
This retrospective, multicenter, observational study enrolled adult patients who received PD-1/PD-L1 antibody-based therapy in China and met the following criteria: (1) had pathologically confirmed, unresectable stage III-IV NSCLC; (2) had a baseline PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS); and (3) had confirmed efficacy evaluation results after PD-1/PD-L1 treatment. Logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox regression were used to assess the progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) as appropriate.
RESULTS:
A total of 409 patients, 65.0% ( n = 266) with a positive PD-L1 TPS (≥1%) and 32.8% ( n = 134) with PD-L1 TPS ≥50%, were included in this study. Cox regression confirmed that patients with a PD-L1 TPS ≥1% had significantly improved PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.747, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.573-0.975, P = 0.032). A total of 160 (39.1%) patients experienced 206 irAEs, and 27 (6.6%) patients experienced 31 grade 3-5 irAEs. The organs most frequently associated with irAEs were the skin (52/409, 12.7%), thyroid (40/409, 9.8%), and lung (34/409, 8.3%). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that a PD-L1 TPS ≥1% (odds ratio [OR] 1.713, 95% CI 1.054-2.784, P = 0.030) was an independent risk factor for irAEs. Other risk factors for irAEs included pretreatment absolute lymphocyte count >2.5 × 10 9 /L (OR 3.772, 95% CI 1.377-10.329, P = 0.010) and pretreatment absolute eosinophil count >0.2 × 10 9 /L (OR 2.006, 95% CI 1.219-3.302, P = 0.006). Moreover, patients who developed irAEs demonstrated improved PFS (13.7 months vs. 8.4 months, P <0.001) and OS (28.0 months vs. 18.0 months, P = 0.007) compared with patients without irAEs.
CONCLUSIONS
A positive PD-L1 TPS (≥1%) was associated with improved PFS and an increased risk of irAEs in a real-world setting. The onset of irAEs was associated with improved PFS and OS in patients with advanced NSCLC receiving PD-1/PD-L1-based therapy.
Humans
;
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/metabolism*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Middle Aged
;
Lung Neoplasms/metabolism*
;
Aged
;
B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism*
;
Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/metabolism*
;
Adult
;
Aged, 80 and over
;
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
9.Circadian and non-circadian regulation of the male reproductive system and reproductive damage: advances in the role and mechanisms of clock genes.
Meng-Chao HE ; Ying-Zhong DAI ; Yi-Meng WANG ; Qin-Ru LI ; Si-Wen LUO ; Xi LING ; Tong WANG ; Jia CAO ; Qing CHEN
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(4):712-720
Recently, male reproductive health has attracted extensive attention, with the adverse effects of circadian disruption on male fertility gradually gaining recognition. However, the mechanism by which circadian disruption leads to damage to male reproductive system remains unclear. In this review, we first summarized the dual regulatory roles of circadian clock genes on the male reproductive system: (1) circadian regulation of testosterone synthesis via the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes; (2) non-circadian regulation of spermatogenesis. Next, we further listed the possible mechanisms by which circadian disruption impairs male fertility, including interference with the oscillatory function of the reproductive system, i.e., synchronization of the HPT axis, crosstalk between the HPT axis and the HPA axis, as well as direct damage to germ cells by disturbing the non-oscillatory function of the reproductive system. Future research using spatiotemporal omics, epigenomic assays, and neural circuit mapping in studying the male reproductive system may provide new clues to systematically unravel the mechanisms by which circadian disruption affects male reproductive system through circadian clock genes.
Male
;
Humans
;
Animals
;
Circadian Clocks/physiology*
;
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiology*
;
Circadian Rhythm/genetics*
;
Spermatogenesis/physiology*
;
Pituitary-Adrenal System/physiology*
;
Testis/physiology*
;
Testosterone/biosynthesis*
;
CLOCK Proteins
;
Infertility, Male/physiopathology*
10.Risk prediction of Reduning Injection batches by near-infrared spectroscopy combined with multiple machine learning algorithms.
Wen-Yu JIA ; Feng TONG ; Heng-Xu LIU ; Shu-Qin JIN ; Yong-Chao ZHANG ; Chen-Feng ZHANG ; Zhen-Zhong WANG ; Xin ZHANG ; Wei XIAO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(2):430-438
In this paper, near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS) was employed to analyze 129 batches of commercial products of Reduning Injection. The batch reporting rate was estimated according to the report of Reduning Injection in the direct adverse drug reaction(ADR) reporting system of the drug marketing authorization holder of the Center for Drug Reevaluation of the National Medical Products Administration(National Center for ADR Monitoring) from August 2021 to August 2022. According to the batch reporting rate, the samples of Reduning Injection were classified into those with potential risks and those being safe. No processing, random oversampling(ROS), random undersampling(RUS), and synthetic minority over-sampling technique(SMOTE) were then employed to balance the unbalanced data. After the samples were classified according to appropriate sampling methods, competitive adaptive reweighted sampling(CARS), successive projections algorithm(SPA), uninformative variables elimination(UVE), and genetic algorithm(GA) were respectively adopted to screen the features of spectral data. Then, support vector machine(SVM), logistic regression(LR), k-nearest neighbors(KNN), naive bayes(NB), random forest(RF), and artificial neural network(ANN) were adopted to establish the risk prediction models. The effects of the four feature extraction methods on the accuracy of the models were compared. The optimal method was selected, and bayesian optimization was performned to optimize the model parameters to improve the accuracy and robustness of model prediction. To explore the correlations between potential risks of clinical use and quality test data, TreeNet was employed to identify potential quality parameters affecting the clinical safety of Reduning Injection. The results showed that the models established with the SVM, LR, KNN, NB, RF, and ANN algorithms had the F1 scores of 0.85, 0.85, 0.86, 0.80, 0.88, and 0.85 and the accuracy of 88%, 88%, 88%, 85%, 91%, and 88%, respectively, and the prediction time was less than 5 s. The results indicated that the established models were accurate and efficient. Therefore, near infrared spectroscopy combined with machine learning algorithms can quickly predict the potential risks of clinical use of Reduning Injection in batches. Three key quality parameters that may affect clinical safety were identified by TreeNet, which provided a scientific basis for improving the safety standards of Reduning Injection.
Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared/methods*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
Machine Learning
;
Algorithms
;
Humans
;
Quality Control

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