1.Mechanism of Yishen Huoxue Tongqiao Formula in Improving Unilateral Vestibular Labyrinth Destruction by Regulating Metabolism-neuroplasticity
Yu TIAN ; Hui LENG ; Rupeng QU ; Xianglong HAO ; Aiping WANG ; Lei SHI ; Zhongyuan QU ; Ye DONG ; Xiande MA ; Yangling HUANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):54-64
ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the mechanism by which Yishen Huoxue Tongqiao Formula improves metabolism-neuroplasticity and treats unilateral vestibular labyrinth destruction by regulating the metabolic balance of glutamate (Glu)/γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Methods48 Sprague-Dawley (SD) adult rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group, model group, Yishen Huoxue Tongqiao Formula groups with low, medium, and high doses (9.20, 18.39, 36.78 g·kg-1), and betahistine group (1.62 mg·kg-1). A unilateral vestibular labyrinth destruction (vestibular dysfunction) model was established by intratympanic injection of chloroform into the right ear, while the control group received intratympanic injection of normal saline. Drugs were administered once daily for seven consecutive days. During the period, behavioral tests were performed to evaluate the behaviors of rats after unilateral vestibular labyrinth destruction. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the neuronal morphology in the medial vestibular nucleus. Golgi staining was employed to assess the number of dendritic spines of neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was utilized to detect Glu/GABA. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expressions of neuronal nuclei (NeuN), growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Western blot and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) were applied to determine the expressions of glutamate-immunoreactive (Glu-IR), GABA, GFAP, postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), and GAP-43. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group, the model group presented with head deviation, balance disorder, increased tail suspension score, nuclear consolidation of medial vestibular nerve neurons, and decreased Nissl bodies (P<0.01). The number of dendritic spines in neurons and NeuN-positive cells decreased. The content of Glu decreased. The content of GABA increased (Glu/GABA decreased). The expression of GAP-43 was down-regulated, and GFAP was up-regulated (P<0.05, P<0.01). The expressions of Glu-IR, PSD-95, and GAP-43 proteins, as well as Glu-IR mRNA decreased, while the expressions of GABA and GFAP proteins and mRNA increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with those in the model group, the head deviation, imbalanced behavior, and tail suspension scores in each treatment group decreased, with alleviated neuronal injury and recovered Nissl bodies (P<0.01). The number of dendritic spines of neurons increased, and the number of NeuN-positive cells rebounded. The content of Glu increased, and the content of GABA decreased (Glu/GABA increased). GFAP was down-regulated, and GAP-43 was up-regulated (P<0.05, P<0.01). The expressions of Glu-IR, PMD-95, and GAP-43 proteins, as well as Glu-IR mRNA increased, while the expressions of GABA and GFAP proteins and mRNA decreased. The effect was more significant in the high-dose group (P<0.01). ConclusionThe Yishen Huoxue Tongqiao Formula can alleviate vestibular dysfunction, and its mechanism may be associated with regulating the metabolic balance of Glu/GABA, mitigating neural damage, improving synaptic plasticity (promoting GAP-43 expression and inhibiting GFAP expression), and facilitating vestibular compensation.
2.Ablation of macrophage transcriptional factor FoxO1 protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury-induced acute kidney injury.
Yao HE ; Xue YANG ; Chenyu ZHANG ; Min DENG ; Bin TU ; Qian LIU ; Jiaying CAI ; Ying ZHANG ; Li SU ; Zhiwen YANG ; Hongfeng XU ; Zhongyuan ZHENG ; Qun MA ; Xi WANG ; Xuejun LI ; Linlin LI ; Long ZHANG ; Yongzhuo HUANG ; Lu TIE
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(6):3107-3124
Acute kidney injury (AKI) has high morbidity and mortality, but effective clinical drugs and management are lacking. Previous studies have suggested that macrophages play a crucial role in the inflammatory response to AKI and may serve as potential therapeutic targets. Emerging evidence has highlighted the importance of forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) in mediating macrophage activation and polarization in various diseases, but the specific mechanisms by which FoxO1 regulates macrophages during AKI remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of FoxO1 in macrophages in the pathogenesis of AKI. We observed a significant upregulation of FoxO1 in kidney macrophages following ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Additionally, our findings demonstrated that the administration of FoxO1 inhibitor AS1842856-encapsulated liposome (AS-Lipo), mainly acting on macrophages, effectively mitigated renal injury induced by I/R injury in mice. By generating myeloid-specific FoxO1-knockout mice, we further observed that the deficiency of FoxO1 in myeloid cells protected against I/R injury-induced AKI. Furthermore, our study provided evidence of FoxO1's pivotal role in macrophage chemotaxis, inflammation, and migration. Moreover, the impact of FoxO1 on the regulation of macrophage migration was mediated through RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 (ARHGEF1), indicating that ARHGEF1 may serve as a potential intermediary between FoxO1 and the activity of the RhoA pathway. Consequently, our findings propose that FoxO1 plays a crucial role as a mediator and biomarker in the context of AKI. Targeting macrophage FoxO1 pharmacologically could potentially offer a promising therapeutic approach for AKI.
3.Construction and validation of a nomogram for predicting the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma based on serum abnormal prothrombin and alpha-fetoprotein
Long YU ; Xiangkun WANG ; Xudong ZHANG ; Zhongyuan LIU ; Yuxiang GUO ; Maosen WANG ; Qingfang HAN ; Renfeng LI
Chinese Journal of Hepatobiliary Surgery 2025;31(1):1-5
Objective:To construct a nomogram model for predicting the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma based on serum abnormal prothrombin and alpha-fetoprotein and evaluate the predictive effect.Methods:Retrospective analysis of data from 351 patients with liver disease who received treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to December 2023, including 285 males and 66 females, aged (52.9±11.9) years. Among the 351 patients, there were 229 cases (65.2%) of hepatocellular carcinoma, 87 cases (24.8%) of liver cirrhosis, and 35 cases (10.0%) of chronic hepatitis B. All patients were randomly divided into a training set ( n=245) and a testing set ( n=106) in a 7∶3 ratio without replacement sampling. The training set was used to construct the model, and the testing set was used to evaluate the model. At the same time, gender, age, disease type, and other indicators were compared between the two sets. The risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression based on the training set, and a nomogram was constructed to predict the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma based on the multivariate results. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve were used to evaluate the predictive performance of nomogram, and decision curve analysis was used to evaluate the clinical applicability of the model. Results:There was no statistically significant difference in age, gender, disease type, etc. between the training and testing sets of patients (all P>0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, abnormal prothrombin logarithm (LnPIVKA-Ⅱ), alpha-fetoprotein logarithm (LnAFP), and diabetes were associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that older age ( OR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.03-1.12), higher LnPIVKA-Ⅱ ( OR=2.97, 95% CI: 1.97-4.46), higher LnAFP ( OR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.11-1.84) and diabetes ( OR=5.17, 95% CI: 1.02-26.17) were risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (all P<0.05). Based on the above variables, a nomogram model for predicting the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was constructed. The area under the ROC curve analysis of the nomogram for predicting the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was 0.920 (95% CI: 0.886-0.953) in the training set and 0.934 (95% CI: 0.891-0.977) in the testing set. The calibration curve fit well with the standard curve, and the prediction was basically consistent with the actual situation. The decision curve analysis showed that the net benefit of the model was greater than 0 under most thresholds (0.1-1.0). Conclusion:The nomogram constructed based on age, LnPIVKA-Ⅱ, LnAFP and diabetes can effectively predict the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and has clinical applicability.
4.Historical trend analysis and future projection of osteoarthritis disease burden attributable to high body mass index in China
Ping ZHU ; Ju LI ; Zhongyuan ZHANG ; Jiajia WANG ; Yi′an TIAN ; Rui YUE ; Deqian MENG ; Kai WANG
Chinese Journal of Rheumatology 2025;29(8):662-667
Objective:This study aims to analyze historical trends and predict future trends of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to high BMI for osteoarthritis (OA) in China. OA is a common chronic degenerative joint disease, with high body mass index (BMI) being a significant risk factor. in China.Methods:Based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database, we analyzed trends in high-BMI-attributable OA. The ASR of hogh-BMI-attributable OA DALYs increased from DALYs in China from 1990 to 2021. A Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model was used to predict trends from 2022 to 2046. Age-standardized rates (ASR) and estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) were calculated to assess trend changes of trends. A Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model was used to predict trends from 2022 to 2046. Chi-square tests were used to compare differences in high BMI attribution proportions between regions and years.Results:From 1990 to 2021, China′s OA DALYs increased from 1.829 to 5.327 million, with the proportion attributable to high BMI rising from 13.47% to 21.86% ( χ2=60 527.25, P<0.001). The ASR of high-BMI-attributable to OA increased from 27.4 (-2.2, 81.5) per 100,000 to 53.0 (-4.7, 150.7) per 100 000, with an EAPC of 2.48% [95% (uncertainty interval, UI): 2.35, 2.62]. In 2021, females showed significantly higher ASR (69.2 per 100 000) than males (36.1 per 100 000). Knee OA (ASR: 50.5/100 000) demonstrated substantially higher burden than hip OA (ASR: 2.5/100 000). Age effect analysis showed DALYs peaked at ages 80~90; period effect indicated accelerated growth after 2005; cohort effect showed a U-shaped trend with the 1990 birth cohort having the highest relative risk (approximately 3.0). Projections indicated that up to 2046, total OA DALYs will reach approximately 2.39 million with an ASR of about 71, showing more significant growth among females (ASR reaching 100). Conclusion:High-BMI-attributable to OA DALYs in China shows a significant upward trend, and is expected to continue. This trend is more pronounced among females and elderly populations than males, highlighting the urgency of implementing preventive measures for high-risk groups, particularly in weight management.
5.Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with bile duct tumor thrombus
Yuxiang GUO ; Maosen WANG ; Zhongyuan LIU ; Xudong ZHANG ; Pengfei MA ; Xiangkun WANG ; Renfeng LI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(2):359-364
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with biliary duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is currently not common in clinical practice and is easily misdiagnosed, and previously, it was often considered an advanced stage of the disease with a poor prognosis, making its treatment challenging. However, in-depth studies in recent years have gradually deepened our understanding of this disease, leading to significant changes in diagnostic and treatment concepts. Currently, comprehensive treatment, mainly surgery, is used for treatment, but there is still controversy over the selection of clinical treatment strategies. This article provides a detailed discussion on surgical methods and prognosis, in order to provide a reference for clinical treatment options.
6.Protective effect of remimazolam on intestinal barrier function in septic mice
Weifei WANG ; Haoyue DENG ; Yunxia DU ; Zhongyuan DU ; Liangming LIU ; Tao LI ; Qingxiang MAO
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(15):1806-1814
Objective To investigate the protective effects of remimazolam(Remi),a novel benzodiazepine sedative,on intestinal barrier function in septic mice.Methods A mouse model of sepsis was established using cecal ligation and puncture(CLP).A total of 96 SPF-grade adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into sham operation(Sham),sepsis(Sepsis),and sepsis with Remi intervention(Sepsis+Remi)groups.Survival rate and survival time were recorded within 72 h after modeling.Intestinal pathological alterations,barrier functional indicators,ZO-1 expression,and macrophage polarization status were observed and detected to evaluate the effects of Remi.Lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was used to treat RAW264.7 cells for 24 h to simulate in vitro sepsis model.The cells were divided into control(Control),LPS,and LPS+Remi groups.Immunofluorescence staining was performed to assess macrophage phenotype,mitochondrial morphology,and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species(MtROS),and Western blotting was applied to detect the protein expression of iNOS and CD206.Results Compared with the sepsis group,Remi intervention significantly improved the survival rate of septic mice from 12.50%to 68.75%and markedly prolonged survival duration(P<0.05).Histopathological analysis demonstrated partial restoration of intestinal villus architecture,accompanied with attenuated interstitial edema and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration after Remi intervention.Furthermore,the intervention group demonstrated significant improvement in functional indicators.Both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated elevated iNOS and decreased CD206 expression in the septic mice and LPS-stimulated macrophages(P<0.05),which were partially reversed after Remi intervention.Furthermore,LPS-stimulated macrophages exhibited fragmented mitochondria and elevated MtROS level,whereas Remi intervention ameliorated these conditions(P<0.05).Conclusion Remi protects intestinal barrier function in septic mice by mitigating mitochondrial dynamics imbalance-induced oxidative damage and ameliorating inflammatory macrophage activation.
7.The role of psychological resilience in the relationship between job satisfaction and depressive symptoms among petrochemical workers
Xingming WANG ; Qing YAN ; Hui WU ; Ziyue ZHANG ; Zhongyuan LI ; Liang YANG
Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases 2025;43(9):662-667
Objective:To explore the moderating and mediating roles of psychological resilience in the relationship between job satisfaction and depressive symptoms among petrochemical workers.Methods:In April 2022, a cluster sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey among 1087 in-service employees of a petrochemical enterprise in Henan Province. A total of 861 questionnaires were recovered, including 857 valid ones, with an effective rate of 99.54%. Data on job satisfaction, psychological resilience, and depressive symptoms were collected using the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Spearman rank correlation analysis was applied to analyze the relationships among the scores of job satisfaction, psychological resilience, and depressive symptoms. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to test the moderating effect of psychological resilience, and the Bootstrap method was employed to verify the mediating effect of psychological resilience.Results:The scores of job satisfaction, psychological resilience, and depressive symptoms among petrochemical workers were 36.00 (31.00, 36.00) points, 36.00 (30.00, 41.00) points, and 7.00 (3.00, 9.00) points. The detection rate of depressive symptoms was 65.7% (563/857). Results of Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that job satisfaction of petrochemical workers was positively correlated with psychological resilience ( rs=0.270, P<0.01) and negatively correlated with depressive symptoms ( rs=-0.386, P<0.01), psychological resilience was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms ( rs=-0.515, P<0.01). Results of hierarchical linear regression analysis indicated that psychological resilience had no moderating effect on the relationship between job satisfaction and depressive symptoms of petrochemical workers ( b=0.001, P>0.05). Results of the mediating effect test showed that psychological resilience played a partial mediating effect in the relationship between job satisfaction and depressive symptoms ( P<0.01), with a mediating effect value of -0.071 (95% CI: -0.125, -0.045), accounting for 20.16% of the total effect. Conclusion:Psychological resilience exerts a partial mediating effect rather than a moderating effect in the relationship between job satisfaction and depressive symptoms among petrochemical workers.
8.Trends in adenoidectomy in children in Beijing tertiary hospitals from 2013 to 2022
Jieqiong LIANG ; Zhongyuan ZHANG ; Ruikun WANG ; Qian WANG ; Yimin ZHANG ; Mengyao LI ; Xiaojun ZHAN ; Yingxia LU ; Moning GUO ; Feng LU ; Minjiang GUO ; Qinglong GU
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;59(11):1946-1951
To examine the evolution of surgical techniques and trends in overall inpatient burden for pediatric adenoidectomy in Beijing tertiary hospitals from 2013 to 2022. A retrospective observational study was conducted using the regional health information platform of Beijing. Data from children aged ≤14 years who underwent adenoidectomy between 2013 and 2022 were extracted, including total hospitalization cost, length of stay(LOS), surgical material cost, surgical fee, operative technique, perioperative antimicrobial drugs cost, coagulation factor cost, and blood transfusion cost. The Mann-Kendall trend test was used to assess temporal changes in total hospitalization expenses and the structure of cost components. The results showed that over the 10-year period from 2013 to 2022, a total of 25 989 children underwent adenoidectomy in tertiary hospitals. The proportion of children aged ≤6 years increased from 59.83% to 76.11%, showing a significant upward trend ( Z=2.15, P=0.032). Only one case required surgical hemostasis due to postoperative bleeding. During the ten-year period, the median hospitalization cost for adenoidectomy in tertiary hospitals was ¥12 425.82 (¥11 307.43, ¥14 955.42).Overall hospitalization cost demonstrated a fluctuating downward pattern, decreasing from ¥15 229.73 in 2013 to ¥13 927.52 in 2022, this declining trend was not statistically significant( Z=-0.54, P=0.592). In contrast, the surgical costs showed an upward trend over the decade increasing from ¥1 856.22 in 2013 to ¥3 726.45 in 2022, which was statistically significant ( Z=3.22, P=0.001), while the cost of surgical materials showed no significant increase ( Z=1.79, P=0.074).Concurrently, the average LOS decreased remarkably from 10.56 days in 2013 to 3.26 days in 2022 ( Z=-3.94, P<0.001). The cost of perioperative antimicrobial drugs decreased ( Z=-3.94, P<0.001), while the cost of coagulation factors and blood transfusion remained unchanged ( Z=0.54, P=0.592; Z=0.56, P=0.578). Comparison between 2013-2017 and 2018-2022 showed a significant increase in the use of coblation from 28.9% to 42.5% ( χ2=638.7, P<0.001).Furthermore, in the coblation group, total hospitalization cost decreased by 27.73%, surgical cost increased by 94.98%, surgical material cost decreased by 10.33%, LOS shortened by 56.24%, and antimicrobial drug cost increased by 43.03%. In contrast, the non-coblation group showed a 23.94% increase in total hospitalization cost, a 57.08% increase in surgical procedure cost, a 33.88% increase in material cost, and a 30.14% reduction in LOS and a 26.0% decrease in antimicrobial drugs cost. In conclusion,from 2013 to 2022, total hospitalization cost for pediatric adenoidectomy in Beijing tertiary hospitals remained stable. Compared to non-coblation techniques, coblation was associated with a shorter LOS, lower total costs, a higher proportion of surgical fees, and a decreased proportion of material costs, without a significant increase in overall healthcare costs.
9.The impact of delayed ileostomy closure on postoperative complications in ulcerative colitis patients following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis
Zhongyuan WANG ; Song LI ; Zeqian YU ; Feng ZHU ; Yi LI ; Jianfeng GONG
Chinese Journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2025;09(6):456-461
Objective:To investigate the impact of delayed ileostomy closure (>6 months) on postoperative complications in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) undergoing ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) .Methods:Using propensity score matching. Clinical data of UC patients who underwent IPAA and subsequent ileostomy closure at Jinling Hospital from January 2014 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were categorized into a routine group (2 to ≤6 months) and a delayed group (>6 months) based on the timing of ileostomy closure. A 1∶1 propensity score matching analysis was performed to compare early (≤30 days) and late (>30 days) postoperative complications between the two groups.Results:A total of 225 UC patients who underwent IPAA and ileostomy closure were included, comprising 129 males (57.3%) and 96 females (42.7%). After propensity score matching, 88 patients were included in the analysis, with 44 patients in each group. There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of early postoperative complications (11.4% vs. 15.9%, P = 0.534) or late postoperative complications (43.2% vs. 43.2%, P = 1.000) between the delayed and routine groups. Additionally, no significant differences were observed in other postoperative complications (all P > 0.05) . Conclusion:Delayed ileostomy closure following IPAA does not significantly increase the risk of postoperative complications in UC patients.
10.Research progress on mechanism of gut microbiota-host DNA methylation interaction in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease
Yanzhe GUO ; Mingfei CHEN ; Abudurexiti WARESI ; Zhongyuan WANG ; Song LI ; Jianfeng GONG
Chinese Journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2025;09(2):164-169
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an intestinal disease with uncertain etiology and complex mechanism. The interaction between environment and gene is a risk factor of IBD, which includes abnormal DNA methylation. In this review, we discuss the abnormal DNA methylation in IBD patients, and illustrate the interaction between gut microbiota and host through DNA methylation and its mechanism. Finally, we look forward to the prospect of regulating the interaction between gut microbiota and host through DNA methylation in the treatment of IBD.

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