1.Application of ''Sensation and Response'' Theory in Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Lung Cancer
Ayidana MAOLAN ; Qiujun GUO ; Runzhi QI ; Rui LIU ; Baojin HUA
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):261-268
Lung cancer still ranks first among malignant tumors in the world and China. Although surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other treatments can delay patients' lives, thorny problems remain to be solved, such as adverse reactions after intervention, patient resistance to treatment, and the economic burden of treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) featuring a holistic view advocates macro interventions throughout the entire disease cycle, which has the advantages of reducing toxicity, improving efficiency, and enhancing patients' quality of life. The theory of ''sensation and response'' was first recorded in the book of I-Ching. This is the natural law of mutual induction, influence, and interaction among all things in nature. According to the theory of ''Qi monism'' and the proposal of regulating Qi movement and removing toxin by Professor Hua Baojin, we re-examine lung cancer from the primitive thinking in TCM and explain the relevance of Qi movement changes to the occurrence, progression, and treatment of lung cancer. The core pathogeneses of lung cancer are the deficiency of healthy Qi and invasion of deficiency pathogen resulting in the formation of cancer and the internal generation of cancer toxin leading to intermediate dysfunction. Six excesses and Yin pathogen invade and gradually accumulate in the lung and spleen, leading to the generation of cancer toxin, which eventually evolve into lung cancer. The treatment can be based on the theories of five elements and visceral manifestation from three aspects. First, on the basis of syndrome differentiation, medicinal materials of different flavors can be used. Specifically, pungent medicinal materials can be used for dredging and sweet medicinal materials can be used for tonifying. Second, medicinal materials with similar morphology or origin to that in the human body can be used for treating the diseases in corresponding sites. Finally, corrigent medicinal materials can be combined for two-way regulation. These measures can be applied in lung cancer treatment to optimize the prevention and treatment strategies and provide new research directions for TCM diagnosis and treatment of tumors.
2.Research progress on the correlation of dry eye with depression
Feng JIN ; Baoyue MI ; Jingqing MU ; Jingjing CAO ; Xia HUA
International Eye Science 2026;26(1):74-79
Dry eye disease is a chronic ocular surface disorder of multifactorial origin, characterized by a loss of tear film homeostasis and associated with a range of ocular discomfort symptoms. Growing evidence underscores a significant bidirectional relationship between dry eye and depression: individuals with dry eye disease exhibit a higher prevalence of depressive disorders, and conversely, those diagnosed with depression demonstrate an increased susceptibility to developing dry eye. This interplay is mediated through several pathophysiological pathways, such as chronic inflammation, cerebral functional alterations, gut microbiome dysregulation, and sleep disturbances, which may collectively sustain a vicious cycle. The use of antidepressant therapy introduces further complexity, exerting heterogeneous effects on dry eye—some agents may offer symptomatic relief, whereas others can aggravate ocular surface impairment. The mechanisms responsible for these differential outcomes remain incompletely elucidated and merit further investigation. This review systematically consolidates epidemiological data on the dry eye-depression link, examines potential shared pathological mechanisms, and evaluates current therapeutic options. We propose an integrated management approach that combines conventional dry eye treatments, such as traditional Chinese medicine, electroacupuncture, physical activity and antidepressants—a multimodal strategy that may yield synergistic benefits in alleviating both ocular and affective symptoms, thereby improving overall quality of life. Moving forward, research should focus on deciphering the underlying mechanistic pathways and facilitating the translation of these insights into clinical practice to inform targeted, combined treatment regimens for patients with dry eye and depression.
3.Allogeneic lung transplantation in miniature pigs and postoperative monitoring
Yaobo ZHAO ; Ullah SALMAN ; Kaiyan BAO ; Hua KUI ; Taiyun WEI ; Hongfang ZHAO ; Xiaoting TAO ; Xinzhong NING ; Yong LIU ; Guimei ZHANG ; He XIAO ; Jiaoxiang WANG ; Chang YANG ; Feiyan ZHU ; Kaixiang XU ; Kun QIAO ; Hongjiang WEI
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(1):95-105
Objective To explore the feasibility and reference value of allogeneic lung transplantation and postoperative monitoring in miniature pigs for lung transplantation research. Methods Two miniature pigs (R1 and R2) underwent left lung allogeneic transplantation. Complement-dependent cytotoxicity tests and blood cross-matching were performed before surgery. The main operative times and partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) after opening the pulmonary artery were recorded during surgery. Postoperatively, routine blood tests, biochemical blood indicators and inflammatory factors were detected, and pathological examinations of multiple organs were conducted. Results The complement-dependent cytotoxicity test showed that the survival rate of lymphocytes between donors and recipients was 42.5%-47.3%, and no agglutination reaction occurred in the cross-matching. The first warm ischemia times of D1 and D2 were 17 min and 10 min, respectively, and the cold ischemia times were 246 min and 216 min, respectively. Ultimately, R1 and R2 survived for 1.5 h and 104 h, respectively. Postoperatively, in R1, albumin (ALB) and globulin (GLB) decreased, and alanine aminotransferase increased; in R2, ALB, GLB and aspartate aminotransferase all increased. Urea nitrogen and serum creatinine increased in both recipients. Pathological results showed that in R1, the transplanted lung had partial consolidation with inflammatory cell infiltration, and multiple organs were congested and damaged. In R2, the transplanted lung had severe necrosis with fibrosis, and multiple organs had mild to moderate damage. The expression levels of interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 increased in the transplanted lungs. Conclusions The allogeneic lung transplantation model in miniature pigs may systematically evaluate immunological compatibility, intraoperative function and postoperative organ damage. The data obtained may provide technical references for subsequent lung transplantation research.
4.Effects of Mitoxantrone liposomes on the proliferation,migration and stemness in ovarian cancer cells
Dong WANG ; Yue ZHANG ; Baiwang CHU ; Hua SUN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(1):42-48
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of Mitoxantrone liposomes (Lipo-MIT) on the proliferation, migration and cancer stem cell (CSCs) stemness of ovarian cancer cells, as well as to explore its mechanism of action based on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway. METHODS The effects of Lipo-MIT on cell proliferation, migration and the stemness characteristics of CSCs were investigated through in vitro experiments. A human ovarian cancer A2780 cells xenograft tumor model of nude mouse was established to explore the effects of Lipo-MIT at doses of 2 and 5 mg/kg on the safety of tumor-bearing mice, as well as in vivo tumor growth and the pathological characteristics of tumor tissues. The influence of Lipo-MIT on the expression levels of PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins, epithelial-mesenchymal transition related proteins, and stemness related proteins in both cells and tumor tissues was also investigated. RESULTS The half maximal inhibitory concentrations of Lipo-MIT against A2780, SK-OV3, and OV-CAR5 cells were 0.72, 5.41, and 2.77 μmol/L, respectively. Compared with solvent control (0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide), 0.5-2.5 μmol/L Lipo-MIT significantly reduced the cell colony formation rate, shortened the cell migration distance, decreased the number of migrated cells, down-regulated the protein expression of N-cadherin, up-regulated the protein expression of E-cadherin (P<0.05), and also decreased the stem cell sphere formation frequency and down-regulated the protein expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1) (P<0.05). Additionally, 1.0 and 2.5 μmol/L Lipo-MIT significantly reduced the stem cell sphere formation probability and down-regulated the protein expression of sex determining region Y box protein 2 in cells (P<0.05). In vivo experimental results demonstrated that 2, 5 mg/kg Lipo-MIT had no significant effects on the body weight, food intake, water intake, and organ (heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney) indices of tumor-bearing nude mice (P>0.05), but could significantly improve the pathological changes of tumor tissues and remarkably inhibit the protein expressions of N-cadherin, CD133 and ALDH1A1( only at 5 mg/kg Lipo-MIT), up-regulate the expression of E- cadherin (only at 5 mg/kg Lipo-MIT) in tumor tissues (P<0.05). Lipo-MIT at different concentrations/doses significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT proteins in cells/tumor tissues (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Lipo-MIT can inhibit the proliferation and migration of ovarian cancer cells and the stemness by suppressing the activity of the PI3K/AKT pathway.
5.Application of recombinant factor C method for bacterial endotoxin detection in recombinant SARS-CoV-2 vaccine(CHO cells)
Chinese Journal of Biologicals 2026;39(01):101-107
Objective To explore the feasibility of recombinant factor C(rFC) method for quantitative detection of bacterial endotoxin in recombinant SARS-CoV-2 vaccine(CHO cells), and to provide more basis for the application of this method.Methods The standard curve of bacterial endotoxin was plotted by rFC method reagent, the dilution factor was determined through interference pre-experiment, the recovery rate of spiked endotoxin in the test solution was determined, and the quantitative detection test of bacterial endotoxin content in the test product was completed. The effect of aluminum adjuvant content on endotoxin detection was investigated, and the results were compared with those of the kinetic chromogenic assay and the gel clotting method described in current pharmacopeia.Results The linear range of the standard curve was 0. 05-50 EU/mL. The test sample diluted 50, 100 and 200 times did not interfere with the reaction, and the recovery rate of bacterial endotoxin fell in the range of 50% to 200%. The endotoxin quantitative test results of the three batches of test products all met the requirements, and were consistent with the gel clotting method. The Correl function correlation coefficient between aluminum adjuvant content an d endotoxin recovery rate determined by rFC method was-0. 828 3,showing a strong negative correlation.Conclusion The rFC method can be used for the quantitative detection of bacterial endotoxin in recombinant SARS-CoV-2 vaccine(CHO cells), with accurate results and high precision, and can reduce or even eradicate the usage of limulus resources, conforming to the 3R principle of world animal welfare.
6.Exploring the Application of "Cleaning Spleen and Restoring Defensive Qi" Method in Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer based on Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Abnormal Accumulation
Chuanlong ZHANG ; Mengqi GAO ; Yi LI ; Xiaochen JIANG ; Songting SHOU ; Bo PANG ; Baojin HUA
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(1):30-33
The abnormal accumulation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) can promote the initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer, which is considered a potential therapeutic target for this disease. The Miraculous Pivot·Inquiry About Statement (《灵枢·口问》) have recorded the concept of "defensive qi stagnation". Based on the recognition that the function of defensive qi is similar to the immune function of neutrophils, and combining traditional Chinese medicine theory with clinical practice, it is proposed that the abnormal accumulation of NETs may be a pathological product of "defensive qi stagnation", with the spleen being the critical site of pathology. Further exploring the application strategy of cleaning spleen and restoring defensive qi method in pancreatic cancer treatment, it is proposed to employ three approaches such as dredging method to eliminate spleen stagnation and inhibit pancreatic cancer proliferation, cleaning method to remove spleen dampness and suppress the inflammatory micro-environment, and tonifying method to strengthen Weiqi and to improve the immune microenvironment, which aims to provide new insights for the clinical treatment of pancreatic cancer with traditional Chinese medicine.
7.Gandouling Regulates PI3K/Akt/mTOR Autophagy Signaling Pathway via LncRNA H19 for Treatment of Wilson Disease Liver Fibrosis
Xin YIN ; Han WANG ; Daiping HUA ; Lanting SUN ; Yunyun XU ; Wenming YANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):131-138
ObjectiveTo investigate the potential mechanisms and pathways through which Gandouling (GDL) exerts its effects in the treatment of liver fibrosis in Wilson disease. MethodsSixty male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: the normal group, the model group, the GDL low-, medium-, and high-dose groups (0.24, 0.48, 0.96 g·kg-1), and the penicillamine group (90 mg·kg-1), with 10 rats in each group. A copper-loaded Wilson disease rat model was established by gavage administration of 300 mg·kg-1 copper sulfate pentahydrate to all groups except the normal group. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathomorphological changes in the liver. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to measure the levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), procollagen type-Ⅲ peptide (PC-Ⅲ), and collagen type-Ⅳ (C-Ⅳ). Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the ultrastructure of liver tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to detect the expression levels of liver tissues and serum exosomal long noncoding RNA H19 (LncRNA H19), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Western blot analysis was performed to assess the expression levels of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, and their phosphorylated forms, as well as autophagy-related proteins Beclin1 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ) in liver tissues. Beclin1 and LC3-Ⅱ fluorescence signal intensity was observed by immunofluorescence. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group exhibited inflammatory cell infiltration in hepatocytes, unclear nuclear boundaries with cell cleavage and necrosis, and collagen fiber deposition around confluent areas. The levels of HA, LN, PC-Ⅲ, and C-Ⅳ were significantly elevated (P<0.01). Transmission electron microscopy revealed an increased number of autophagic vesicles, with autophagic lysosomes exhibiting a single-layer membrane structure following degradation of most envelopes. Expression levels of Beclin1 and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ were significantly increased (P<0.01), and fluorescence signals of Beclin1 and LC3-Ⅱ were markedly enhanced. The protein expression levels of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR were reduced (P<0.01), while LncRNA H19 expression was increased (P<0.01), and mRNA expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR were decreased (P<0.01). After treatment with GDL, the degree of liver fibrosis was significantly improved, with decreased levels of HA, LN, PC-Ⅲ, and C-Ⅳ. The number of autophagic vesicles was significantly reduced, and expression levels of Beclin1 and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ proteins were lower (P<0.01). The fluorescence signals of Beclin1 and LC3-Ⅱ weakened dose-dependently. The protein levels of PI3K, Akt, mTOR, p-PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR were elevated (P<0.01), while the expression level of LncRNA H19 was reduced (P<0.01). Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionGDL may alleviate liver fibrosis and reduce liver injury by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR autophagy signaling pathway via LncRNA H19.
8.Anti-tumor Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine with Effect of Softening Hardness and Dissipating Mass: A Review
Yue HU ; Linfeng WANG ; Yue LI ; Rui LIU ; Baojin HUA
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):276-286
The global burden of malignant tumors keeps increasing, and the increased morbidity and mortality make malignant tumors one of the major challenges to global health. Currently, malignant tumors are mainly managed by surgical resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, which, however, usually cause serious adverse reactions, such as tissue damage, immune function inhibition, and multidrug resistance, affecting the prognosis and quality of life of the patients. Traditional Chinese medicine with low toxic and side effects and multi-target, multi-system, and multi-pathway therapeutic effects has shown positive therapeutic potential in cancer treatment. In particular, the traditional Chinese medicine with the effects of softening hardness and dissipating mass, which contains a variety of active ingredients, have shown strong inhibitory effects on tumor cells. Such medicine can not only directly attack tumor cells and inhibit their proliferation and invasion but also exert therapeutic effects by inducing apoptosis, blocking tumor-related signaling pathways, and inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. In addition, traditional Chinese medicine can improve the overall efficacy of cancer treatment by regulating the immune status of the body and reversing the drug resistance of tumor cells. Traditional Chinese medicine can exert the anti-tumor effect by regulating intracellular signaling pathways, which is one of the research hotspots in this field. Signaling pathways such as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) play a key role in the formation and development of tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine can regulate the growth, apoptosis, and metabolic process of tumor cells by affecting the activity of these signaling pathways, thus exerting the therapeutic effects on tumors. Based on these mechanisms, a large number of experimental studies and clinical trials have proved that traditional Chinese medicine has broad prospects in anti-tumor treatment. To further verify these research results and provide a basis for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine and the development of new drugs, a systematic review and integrated analysis of the research reports on the anti-tumor effect of traditional Chinese medicine was carried out to summarize the anti-tumor mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine. This review is expected to promote the wide application of traditional Chinese medicine in anti-tumor treatment worldwide and bring more hope and possibility to cancer patients.
9.Knowledge map and visualization analysis of pulmonary nodule/early-stage lung cancer prediction models
Yifeng REN ; Qiong MA ; Hua JIANG ; Xi FU ; Xueke LI ; Wei SHI ; Fengming YOU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(01):100-107
Objective To reveal the scientific output and trends in pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. Methods Publications on predictive models of pulmonary nodules/early lung cancer between January 1, 2002 and June 3, 2023 were retrieved and extracted from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and Web of Science database. CiteSpace 6.1.R3 and VOSviewer 1.6.18 were used to analyze the hotspots and theme trends. Results A marked increase in the number of publications related to pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models was observed. A total of 12581 authors from 2711 institutions in 64 countries/regions published 2139 documents in 566 academic journals in English. A total of 282 articles from 1256 authors were published in 176 journals in Chinese. The Chinese and English journals which published the most pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction model-related papers were Journal of Clinical Radiology and Frontiers in Oncology, respectively. Chest was the most frequently cited journal. China and the United States were the leading countries in the field of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. The institutions represented by Fudan University had significant academic influence in the field. Analysis of keywords revealed that multi-omics, nomogram, machine learning and artificial intelligence were the current focus of research. Conclusion Over the last two decades, research on risk-prediction models for pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer has attracted increasing attention. Prognosis, machine learning, artificial intelligence, nomogram, and multi-omics technologies are both current hotspots and future trends in this field. In the future, in-depth explorations using different omics should increase the sensitivity and accuracy of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. More high-quality future studies should be conducted to validate the efficacy and safety of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models further and reduce the global burden of lung cancer.
10.Application of machine learning in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis C
Hua HAN ; Zhongping DUAN ; Yang WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(1):141-144
With the development of artificial intelligence, machine learning has shown great potential in the field of medical health. Machine learning conducts a comprehensive analysis of patient data including clinical features, blood tests, and imaging examinations and establishes corresponding mathematical models to achieve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and the prediction of disease conditions, thereby guiding disease management. With reference to the latest research findings, this article reviews the application of machine learning in chronic hepatitis C and related research advances.


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