1.Optimization Strategy and Practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine Compound and Its Component Compatibility
Zhihao WANG ; Wenjing ZHOU ; Chenghao FEI ; Yunlu LIU ; Yijing ZHANG ; Yue ZHAO ; Lan WANG ; Liang FENG ; Zhiyong LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):299-310
Prescription optimization is a crucial aspect in the study of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compounds. In recent years, the introduction of mathematical methods, data mining techniques, and artificial neural networks has provided new tools for elucidating the compatibility rules of TCM compounds. The study of TCM compounds involves numerous variables, including the proportions of different herbs, the specific extraction parts of each ingredient, and the interactions among multiple components. These factors together create a complex nonlinear dose-effect relationship. In this context, it is essential to identify methods that suit the characteristics of TCM compounds and can leverage their advantages for effective application in new drug development. This paper provided a comprehensive review of the cutting-edge optimization experimental design methods applied in recent studies of TCM compound compatibilities. The key technical issues, such as the optimization of source material selection, dosage optimization of compatible herbs, and multi-objective optimization indicators, were discussed. Furthermore, the evaluation methods for component effects were summarized during the optimization process, so as to provide scientific and practical foundations for innovative research in TCM and the development of new drugs based on TCM compounds.
2.Establishment of an Intestinal Fibrosis Model Associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in VDR-/- Mice Induced by Helicobacter hepaticus Infection and Mechanism Exploration
Zhihao WU ; Shuyang CAO ; Zhengyu ZHOU
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2025;45(1):37-46
ObjectiveTo employ Helicobacter hepaticus (H.hepaticus, H.h) to induce intestinal fibrosis in vitamin D receptor deletion (VDR-/-) mice, thereby establishing a model of inflammatory bowel disease to investigate its pathological characteristics and underlying mechanisms. MethodsFive male WT and five male VDR-/- mice were orally administered a suspension containing 2×108 CFU of H.hepaticus (referred to as the WT+H.h group and the VDR-/-+H.h group, respectively), with treatments occurring every other day for three administrations. Concurrently, two uninfected control groups were established, consisting of five WT and five VDR-/- mice, which were administered an equivalent volume of PBS. Seven days after the final administration, the infection status of the mice was assessed, and their body weight was recorded weekly. At the 16th week post-infection, the mice were dissected, and the length of the colon tissue was measured, with fecal moisture content analyzed. The colon tissue was partitioned into four parts: one for paraffin embedding for HE, alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff (AB-PAS), Masson's trichrome staining, and immunohistochemical analysis; one for DNA extraction to evaluate the colonization levels of H.hepaticus through real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RFQ-PCR), thereby assessing the impact of the infection; one for RNA extraction to analyze cytokine expression via reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR); and one for protein extraction to measure the expression levels of alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and interleukin (IL)-33 using Western blotting. Results All mice in the infected groups successfully were infected with H. hepaticus after three oral gavages. Compared to VDR-/- control group, VDR-/- mice exhibited significant weight loss (P<0.05), intestinal hemorrhage, and higher fecal water content after 16 weeks of H. hepaticus infection than the uninfected control group and the WT+H.h group (P<0.05). Compared to the WT+H.h group, HE staining of the VDR-/-+H.h group showed inflammatory cell infiltration, AB-PAS staining revealed irregular atrophy of intestinal glands and reduced acini, and Masson staining showed increased collagen area. RT-PCR demonstrated that the transcription levels of inflammation and fibrosis-related genes, including IL-6, IL-33, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and α-SMA (P < 0.000 1), were significantly upregulated in the colon tissues of VDR-/-+H.h group. Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis and Western blotting showed that the protein expression levels of IL-33 and α-SMA were markedly increased (P<0.001) in the VDR-/-+H.h group. ConclusionVDR-/- mice infected with H.hepaticus exhibit more severe inflammatory responses, including mucosal inflammatory infiltration, impaired mucosal tissue function, and collagen deposition, indicating successful construction of the inflammatory bowel disease model. Further research suggests that VDR deficiency may exacerbate the intestinal fibrosis process associated with inflammatory bowel disease by affecting IL-33 expression.
3.Peripheral blood eosinophil/neutrophil as an independent risk factor for recurrence after treatment in children with bronchial asthma
Qinying FENG ; Xiaoyu SONG ; Xinzhong ZHOU ; Zhihao CHEN
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2024;45(2):150-154
Objective To investigate the effect of eosinophil(EOS)/neutrophil(NER)in peripheral blood on asthma recurrence in children with bronchial asthma(BA)after treatment.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted in the study.BA children admitted to the hospital from February 2020 to February 2022 were selected as the research objects.All children were treated regularly and their condition was under con-trol.After a follow-up of 6 months,the recurrence of the children was recorded.EOS/NER,interleukin(IL)-4 and IL-5 of children with and without relapse before treatment and at 1 week of treatment were compared.Lo-gistic regression analysis model was established to test the effect of EOS/NER on the recurrence of asthma in children with BA after treatment.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of EOS/NER,IL-4 and IL-5 before treatment for the recurrence risk of BA children after treatment.Results A total of 128 children with BA were included.25 cases recurred after 6 months of follow-up,with a recurrence rate of 19.53%.EOS/NER,IL-4 and IL-5 of BA children after 1 week of treatment were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05).EOS/NER,IL-4 and IL-5 of recurrent children before treat-ment and 1 week after treatment were higher than those of non-recurrent children(P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in EOS/NER,IL-4,IL-5 levels between children of different genders,age groups,and treatment regimens before and after 1 week of treatment(P>0.05).Increased EOS/NER,in-creased level of IL-4 and increased level of IL-5 had effect on the recurrence of BA children after treatment and may be risk factors for recurrence(OR>1,P<0.05).The ROC curve showed that area under the curve of EOS/NER before treatment for predicting the recurrence was 0.810(95%CI:0.724-0.896,P<0.001)in BA patients after 6 months of treatment,with moderate predictive value.Conclusion EOS/NER before treat-ment in BA children may be an independent risk factor for recurrence after treatment,and has moderate pre-dictive value for recurrence risk.
4.Research on the integrity issues from clinical doctors to clinical researchers
Xuelian BAI ; Jie QIAO ; Mingjie ZI ; Zhihao ZHOU
Chinese Medical Ethics 2024;37(2):184-188
Scientific research is an important part of hospital work,the driving force of hospital construction and development,and the key to the hospital's comprehensive competitiveness and future development potential.Scientific research misconduct,which seriously deviates from the recognized norms of the scientific community,and will cause great harm to groups,society,and the public.It may also lead to the spread of false knowledge,resulting in misconceptions among peers and causing losses.By analyzing the scientific research integrity relationship between clinical doctors and clinical researchers,as well as looking at integrity standards from multiple dimensions,this paper found out the similarities and differences in the extension of integrity between them.Exploring measures to further promote the construction of scientific integrity and ethics,especially increasing the supervisory role of discipline inspection and supervision,which is conducive to the promotion of scientific research in the medical field in China.
5.The value of spectral CT combined with metal artifact reduction algorithms in improving the CT image quality for patients with 125I seeds implantation in the chest and abdomen
Yuhan ZHOU ; Limin LEI ; Zhihao WANG ; Wenpeng HUANG ; Weimeng CAO ; Shushan DONG ; Meng WANG ; Zhigang ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2024;58(2):172-179
Objective:To investigate the value of the virtual monoenergetic image (VMI) obtained by a new dual-layer detector spectral CT combined with metal artifact reduction algorithms(O-MAR) in reduction of different types of artifacts caused by 125I seeds implantation and in improvement of the post-operative CT image quality. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. Thirty-five patients who underwent dual-layer detector spectral CT scanning of the chest and abdomen after 125I seeds implantation were retrospectively included at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March to September 2022. The spectral data were collected and reconstructed into conventional CT image (CI), VMI image (50-150 keV, 20 keV/level), CI+O-MAR image, and VMI+O-MAR image (50-150 keV, 20 keV/level). The artifacts′ removal effects and image quality improvement in each group were evaluated. Two slices with the strongest artifacts were selected for analysis for each patient, resulting in a total of 70 slices. Objective indicators including artifact index (AI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of soft tissue regions affected by artifacts were measured and calculated. Subjective indicators including the overcorrected artifacts and new artifacts, the different forms of artifacts, the diagnosis of artifacts, and the image quality were assessed. One-way analysis of variance was used for comparisons among multiple groups. Paired t test was used to compare the quantitative indicators between the combined O-MAR group and the non-O-MAR group. Kappa statistics was used to evaluate the consistency between observers. Results:In high/low-density artifacts (ROI H/L), the AI values in all groups showed decrease with increasing VMI keV. In artifact-affected tissue (ROI T), SNR of the CI/VMI (70-150 keV)+O-MAR group were significantly higher than those of the CI/VMI group ( P<0.05), CNR of the CI/VMI(50-150 keV)+O-MAR group were significantly higher than those of the CI/VMI group ( P<0.05). Both overcorrection and new artifacts mainly presented in VMI 50 keV and VMI 70 keV groups; Compared with VMI (50-70 keV) group, significantly less numbers of overcorrection and new artifacts were found in VMI (50-70 keV)+O-MAR group ( P<0.05); regarding the comparison of artifact types, with the VMI keV increasing, the number of a-type banded artifacts gradually decreased on images with high-density artifacts, reaching a minimum of 3 in the VMI 150 keV+O-MAR group; while the number of e-type artifacts with little or no artifacts increased, with the highest number of 23 in the VMI 150 keV+O-MAR group. The total number of high-density artifacts in each type decreased with increasing VMI keV. As VMI keV increased, the diagnostic and image quality scores of high-density artifacts in each group were significantly higher than those of low-density artifacts in the VMI+O-MAR group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:VMI combined with O-MAR can significantly improve the objective and subjective image quality of follow-up CT imaging after 125I seed implantation, enhancing lesion visibility and diagnostic confidence. Additionally, VMI+O-MAR showed more pronounced correction effect on high-density artifacts.
6.Current Situation,Existing Problems and Solving Strategies of the Assessment of Medical Ethics and Styles in the Examination of Doctors' Qualification
Hua GUO ; Yu HAN ; Kai REN ; Zhihao ZHOU ; Mingjie ZI ; Yujiao SONG ; Min ZHU ; Lili XYU ; Yi LI ; Tingting WANG ; Linyong YU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(12):1292-1295
This paper discussed the current education status on medical ethics and styles and the assessment condition in the examination of doctors' qualification, as well as the existing problems and potential solutions by reviewing domestic and foreign literature and summarizing the practice experience. Traditionally, medical ethics and styles have always been integrated into clinical medical practice in China. However, under the modern medical education system, it is challenged to integrate traditional education on medical ethics and styles with the rules of modern medical knowledge. By summarizing the education and assessment status of medical ethics and styles in the examination of doctors' qualification, it is found that the current examination is relatively poor in the evaluation content, and the way of evaluation is not diverse, with lack of curriculum of medical humanities. The solutions suggested are enriching relevant examination content, introducing more and comprehensive evaluation method, and establishing more medical humanities-related courses.
7.Impact of oral microbiota on radiation-induced oral mucositis:A single-arm prospective study
Zhiyuan LU ; Yimin XU ; Mengyuan ZHOU ; Yang LU ; Zhihao WEI ; Can XIAO
STOMATOLOGY 2024;44(8):596-601
Objective To investigate dynamic shifts in the oral microbiota and their association with the progression and aggravation of radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis(RIOM)in patients with head and neck malignancies undergoing radiotherapy.Methods Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing,dynamic changes of oral microbiota in patients was analyzed.Results Firmicutes,Bacteroidetes,and Actinobacteria consistently constituted the predominant bacteria in the oral cavity.While there were no significant changes in the abso-lute abundance of microbiota,there were notable alterations in their relative richness and evenness.Analyses including CCA/RDA and Kruskal-Wallis indicated a significant increase in the proportions of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus genera in the later stages post-radio-therapy,showing statistically meaningful differences.Conclusion RIOM is associated with dysbiosis of oral microbiota.Microbial dys-biosis may aggravate the severity of RIOM.Streptococcus and Lactobacillus could be closely related to the progression of RIOM,pending further validation through animal experiments.
8.Study on root resorption after camouflage treatment of adult skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion with clear aligner
Zaidao XIONG ; Yanping ZHANG ; Yongchun GU ; Zhihao ZHOU
STOMATOLOGY 2024;44(11):847-850,870
Objective To compare the root resorption of posterior teeth between fixed orthodontic appliances and clear aligners in adult patients with skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion undergoing camouflage treatment by using cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT)measurements.Methods Thirty-two cases of skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion patients who had previously undergone camouflage treat-ment were retrospectively selected.Based on the type of orthodontic appliance used,they were divided into two groups(the fixed appli-ance group and the clear aligner group),each comprising 16 cases.CBCT images of the entire dental arch before and after treatment were collected for these patients,and three-dimensional reconstructions of the mandibular central incisors,first premolars,and first molars were generated using Mimics software.Changes in root volume and length of mandibular teeth before and after treatment were measured and compared between the two groups.Results Both groups showed significant reductions in measured root volume of the teeth after orthodontic treatment(P<0.05).In the clear aligner group,the mean reduction in root length of mandibular central incisors was(0.52±0.60)mm,while in the fixed appliance group,the reduction in root length of mandibular central incisors and first premolars was(0.47±0.38)mm and(0.38±0.25)mm,respectively.These differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Except for the sig-nificantly lower reduction in root volume of mandibular central incisors in the clear aligner group compared to the fixed appliance group(P<0.05),there were no statistically significant differences in other root resorption-related parameters between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion In camouflage treatment of adult skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion patients,clear aligners can reduce the amount of root resorption in mandibular anterior teeth to a certain extent compared to fixed orthodontic appliances.However,there is no significant difference between the two appliances in the posterior teeth region.
9.Feasibility of low-dose CT brain perfusion scanning based on deep learning reconstruction algorithm: a preliminary study
Limin LEI ; Yuhan ZHOU ; Xiaoxu GUO ; Hui WANG ; Jinping MA ; Zhihao WANG ; Weimeng CAO ; Yuan GAO ; Yuming XU ; Songwei YUE
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2024;44(7):613-621
Objective:To compare image quality and diagnostic parameters of whole-brain CT perfusion scans under different scanning conditions and assess the utility of deep learning image reconstruction algorithm (DLIR) in reducing tube current during low-dose scans.Methods:Method A total of 105 patients with suspected acute ischemic stroke (AIS) were prospectively enrolled in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March, 2022 to March, 203 and their baseline information was recorded. All patients underwent head non-contrast CT and CT perfusion (CTP) examinations. CTP scanning was performed at 80 kV in two groups with the tube current of 150 mA (regular dose) and 100 mA (low dose), respectively. The CTP images of 150 mA group were reconstructed using filtered back-projection algorithm as well as adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-V (ASIR-V) at 40% and 80% strength levels, which were denoted as groups A-C. The CTP images of 100 mA group were reconstructed using ASIR-V80%, DLIR-M, and DLIR-H, which were denoted as groups D-F. Clinical baseline characteristics and radiation doses were compared between the two groups under different scanning conditions. Furthermore, we assessed the subjective and objective image quality, conventional perfusion parameters, and abnormal perfusion parameters of AIS patients across the six groups of reconstructed CTP images.Results:Under the scanning conditions of 150 mA and 100 mA, 47 and 48 patients were diagnosed with AIS, respectively. There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the two groups. However, there was a significant difference in the mean effective radiation dose (5.71 mSv vs. 3.80 mSv, t = 2 768.30, P < 0.001). The standard deviation (SD) of noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) were significantly different among the six groups of reconstructed images ( F = 40.58-212.13, P < 0.001). In GM, the SD values in groups C, D, and F were lower than those in other groups ( P < 0.05), and the SNR values in groups C and F were higher than those in other groups ( P < 0.05). In WM, the SD and SNR values in groups C and F were significantly different from those in other groups ( P < 0.05). Additionally, CNR values in groups C and F were higher than those in other groups ( P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in subjective scores among groups B, C, and F ( P > 0.05). Regarding perfusion parameters in the brain GM, groups D and E had lower cerebral blood volume (CBV) values compared to groups A to C ( P < 0.05), and group F had lower CBV values than group B ( P < 0.05). In the brain WM, group D had consistently lower mean transit time (MTT) values compared to the other groups ( P < 0.05). Notably, there were no significant differences in AIS lesion detection rates and relevant diagnostic parameters across the six image groups. Conclusions:Low-tube current CTP scan combined with the DLIR-H algorithm can enhance image quality without affecting perfusion parameters such as CBV and MTT, while reducing radiation dose by 30%. This algorithm can be routinely applied in brain CTP examinations.
10.Network Meta-Analysis of the Intervention Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine Appropriate Technology on Patients with Coronary Heart Disease and Insomnia
Linxia TANG ; Zhihao HAN ; Chunqing ZHOU
Journal of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University 2024;48(8):1000-1011
[Objective]To evaluate the efficacy of different traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)appropriate techniques on patients with coronary heart disease and insomnia by network Meta-analysis.[Methods]A computer-based search of China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),WanFang,China Science and Technology Journal Database(VIP),China Biology Medicine disc(CBM),PubMed,CINAHL,Web of Science,Embase and the Cochrane Library was conducted to retrieve the literature on the improvement of the efficacy of TCM appropriate technology in patients with coronary heart disease and insomnia.The retrieval time limit was from the establishment date of the database to December 2023.Two researchers independently screened the literature,evaluated the quality of the literature and extracted the information.The Cochrane bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the literature,Review Manager 5.3 was used for traditional Meta-analysis,and Stata 17 software was used for network Meta-analysis.[Results]A total of 31 studies involving 2 977 patients and 14 TCM appropriate techniques were included.Network Meta-analysis showed that in terms of the total effective rate of insomnia,acupoint massage+five-tone therapy[odds ratio(OR)=7.61,95%confidence interval(CI)(2.05,28.30),P<0.05]was superior to conventional treatment,and had the best effect compared with other TCM appropriate techniques.In terms of sleep quality score,acupoint application[mean difference(MD)=0.51,95%CI(0.04,8.23),P<0.05]was superior to conventional treatment,and had the best effect compared with other TCM appropriate techniques.[Conclusion]Existing studies have shown that acupoint massage+five-tone therapy can effectively improve the total effective rate of insomnia.Acupoint application can effectively improve the sleep quality of patients.Medical staff can select appropriate TCM appropriate techniques according to the patient's own situation.

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