1.Advances in the study of pharmacotherapy for addiction to naturally-derived psychoactive substances.
Kexin XIE ; Deli XIAO ; Peng XU ; Haowei SHEN ; Bin DI
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2025;23(8):897-908
Drug addiction, a disorder characterized by chronic relapse and compulsive drug use, poses a significant threat to public safety and human health. Addictive substances can be categorized as natural, semi-synthetic, or synthetic based on their origin. Additionally, they can be classified into three groups according to their pharmacological targets: opioids, hallucinogens, and cannabinoids that act on G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs); alcohols, nicotine, ketamine, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines (BDZs) that affect ligand-gated ion channel-type receptors; and psychostimulants that interact with monoamine transporters. Current treatments for drug addiction primarily include substitution therapy and non-pharmacological approaches. However, these methods have limitations, particularly in addressing the underlying causes of relapse. Several drugs in clinical trials have demonstrated potential therapeutic effects for addiction to opioids, heroin, cocaine, and other substances. This review examines the origins and pharmacological mechanisms of addiction to naturally-derived psychoactive substances (NPS) and provides an overview of recent advancements in pharmacotherapy for drug addiction.
Humans
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Substance-Related Disorders/drug therapy*
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Psychotropic Drugs/therapeutic use*
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Animals
2.Association of Body Mass Index with All-Cause Mortality and Cause-Specific Mortality in Rural China: 10-Year Follow-up of a Population-Based Multicenter Prospective Study.
Juan Juan HUANG ; Yuan Zhi DI ; Ling Yu SHEN ; Jian Guo LIANG ; Jiang DU ; Xue Fang CAO ; Wei Tao DUAN ; Ai Wei HE ; Jun LIANG ; Li Mei ZHU ; Zi Sen LIU ; Fang LIU ; Shu Min YANG ; Zu Hui XU ; Cheng CHEN ; Bin ZHANG ; Jiao Xia YAN ; Yan Chun LIANG ; Rong LIU ; Tao ZHU ; Hong Zhi LI ; Fei SHEN ; Bo Xuan FENG ; Yi Jun HE ; Zi Han LI ; Ya Qi ZHAO ; Tong Lei GUO ; Li Qiong BAI ; Wei LU ; Qi JIN ; Lei GAO ; He Nan XIN
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(10):1179-1193
OBJECTIVE:
This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study.
METHODS:
A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants.
RESULTS:
Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m 2) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m 2) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m 2) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m 2 ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses.
CONCLUSION
This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans
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Body Mass Index
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China/epidemiology*
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Male
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Female
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Middle Aged
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Prospective Studies
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Rural Population/statistics & numerical data*
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Aged
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Follow-Up Studies
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Adult
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Mortality
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Cause of Death
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Obesity/mortality*
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Overweight/mortality*
3.An excerpt of deceased donor liver utilization and assessment: Consensus guidelines from the European Liver and Intestine Transplant Association (2025 edition)
Wei SHEN ; Shengjun XU ; Di LU ; Xiao XU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(10):2005-2008
In 2025, the European Liver and Intestine Transplant Association released the guidelines on the utilization and evaluation of deceased donor livers. The guidelines focus on the definition of high-risk donor livers and the strategies and criteria for dynamic liver assessment, aiming to provide standardized guidance for clinicians. This article gives an excerpt of the key recommendations in the guidelines.
4.Comparison on odor components before and after processing of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum based on electronic nose, HS-GC-MS, and odor activity value.
Xiao-Yu YAO ; Ke SHEN ; Di WU ; Xiao-Fei SUN ; Chun-Qin MAO ; Li FU ; Xiao-Yan WANG ; Hui XIE ; Tu-Lin LU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(2):421-431
Processing for deodorization is widely used in the production of animal-derived Chinese medicinal materials. In this study, Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas-phase electronic nose combined with chemometrics was employed to analyze the overall odor difference of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum(focusing on that derived from Cervus nippon Temminck in this study) before and after processing. The results showed that the electronic nose effectively distinguished between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. HS-GC-MS was used to identify and quantify the volatile components in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum, and 35 and 37 volatile components were detected in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces, respectively. The medicinal materials and decoction pieces contained 28 common volatile components contributing to the odor of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The odor activity value(OAV) of each volatile component was calculated based on the olfactory threshold and relative content. The results showed that there were 17 key odor substances such as isovaleraldehyde, 2-methylbutanal, isobutyraldehyde, hexanal, and methanethiol in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. All of them had bad odor and were the main source of the odor of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The results of principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) showed that there were significant differences in volatile components between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. Based on the thresholds of P<0.05 and Variable Importance in Projection(VIP)>1, 21 differential volatile odor components were screened out. Among them, isopentanol, isovaleraldehyde, 2-methylbutanal, n-nonanal, and dimethylamine were the key differential odor compounds between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The odor compounds and their relative content reduced, and some flavor substances such as esters were produced after processing with wine, which was the main reason for the reduction of the odor after processing of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum.
Odorants/analysis*
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Electronic Nose
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Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods*
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Animals
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Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis*
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Deer
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
5.Research progress on transcription factors and regulatory proteins of Salvia miltiorrhiza.
Wen XU ; Mei TIAN ; Ye SHEN ; Juan GUO ; Bao-Long JIN ; Guang-Hong CUI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(1):58-70
Salvia miltiorrhiza is a perennial herb of the genus Salvia(Lamiaceae). As one of the earliest medicinal plants to undergo molecular biology research, it has gradually become a model plant for molecular biology of medicinal plants. With the gradual analysis of the genome of S. miltiorrhiza and the biosynthetic pathways of its main active components tanshinone and salvianolic acids, the transcriptional regulation mediated by transcription factors and related regulatory proteins has gradually become a new research focus. Due to the lack of scientific and unified naming of transcription factors and different research indexes in different literature, this paper systematically sorted out the transcription factors in different literature with the genomes of DSS3 from selfing for three generations and bh2-7 from selfing for six generations as reference. In total, 73 transcription factors and related regulatory proteins belonging to 13 gene families were identified. The effects of overexpression or gene silencing experiments on tanshinone and salvianolic acids were also analyzed. This study unified the identified transcription factors, which laid a foundation for further constructing the regulatory networks of secondary metabolites and insect or stress resistance and improving the quality of medicinal materials by using global transcriptional regulation engineering.
Salvia miltiorrhiza/chemistry*
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Plant Proteins/metabolism*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
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Transcription Factors/metabolism*
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Abietanes/metabolism*
6.Association between spontaneous abortion and chromosomal abnormalities of products of conception from spontaneous and ART-conceived pregnancies.
Xu JIANG ; Di YAO ; Ye SHEN ; Lingcen GUO ; Hehua TAO ; Xin ZHAO ; Lan YANG
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2025;50(1):36-44
OBJECTIVES:
Chromosomal abnormalities are the most common cause of spontaneous abortion (SA). This study aims to analyze the association between SA and chromosomal abnormalities in products of conception, and to compare the impact of different pregnancy modes and different numbers of previous abortions on chromosomal abnormalities, providing clinical consulting references.
METHODS:
A total of 1 345 SA patients treated at the Affiliated Women's Hospital of Jiangnan University (Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital) between January 2019 and December 2023 were enrolled. According to the mode of conception, patients were divided into 2 groups: a spontaneous pregnancy group (S group, n=1242) and an assisted reproductive technology (ART)-conceived group (ART group, n=103). Based on the number of miscarriages, the S group was further subdivided into a spontaneous sporadic abortion group (S-1 group, n=780) and a spontaneous recurrent abortion group (S-2 group, n=462); the ART group was subdivided into an ART sporadic abortion group (ART-1 group, n=68) and an ART recurrent abortion group (ART-2 group, n=35). Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) was performed on products of conception.
RESULTS:
The incidence of numerical chromosomal abnormalities was 56.79% (443/780) in the S-1 group and 52.38% (242/462) in the S-2 group, while the incidence of structural abnormalities was 4.36% (34/780) and 7.36% (34/462), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in structural abnormalities between the 2 groups (P<0.05). Among the spontaneous pregnancy SA cases, the incidence of numerical abnormalities decreased with increasing numbers of miscarriages, and was significantly lower in the group with ≥4 miscarriages compared to those with 1 or 2 miscarriages (both P<0.05). The incidence of structural abnormalities in groups with 1, 2, 3, and ≥4 miscarriages was 3.46%, 5.65%, 5.88%, and 4.35%, respectively, with no statistically significant differences among groups (all P>0.05). The incidence of pathogenic copy number variants (pCNVs) plus likely pathogenic copy number variants (LP-CNVs) gradually increases in the group with 1-3 miscarriages, and there was a statistically significant difference between the group with 1 miscarriage and the group with 2 miscarriages (P<0.05). In the ART group, the incidence of numerical abnormalities was 47.06% (32/68) in ART-1 and 37.14% (13/35) in ART-2, while structural abnormalities occurred in 2.94% (2/68) and 11.43% (4/35), respectively, with no significant differences between the groups (both P>0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of numerical or structural abnormalities between the S-1 and ART-1 groups, or between the S-2 and ART-2 groups (all P>0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Chromosomal numerical and structural abnormalities are common in SA patients from both spontaneous and ART-conceived pregnancies. Attention should be paid to patients with recurrent miscarriage in genetic investigation.
Humans
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Female
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Pregnancy
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Chromosome Aberrations/statistics & numerical data*
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Abortion, Spontaneous/epidemiology*
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Adult
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Reproductive Techniques, Assisted/adverse effects*
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Abortion, Habitual/genetics*
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Fertilization
7.Scientific evolution of indications for liver transplantation in hepatocellular carcinoma
Organ Transplantation 2025;16(2):202-207
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent malignant tumor worldwide and also the main indication for liver transplantation in China. The refined classification of transplant recipients has driven the evolution of indications for liver transplantation in HCC and is key to achieving precise liver transplantation. Tumor number and size have always been important clinical parameters limiting the eligibility of transplant recipients. The development of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics has further revealed the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of HCC. The incorporation of molecular markers into the criteria for liver transplantation in HCC represents a milestone. A classification system based on dual molecular markers can expand the pool of suitable candidates for liver transplantation while ensuring therapeutic efficacy. In recent years, the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment model for HCC represented by immunotherapy has made significant progress. The pre-transplant downstaging treatment system has become increasingly mature, allowing more patients who were previously unsuitable for transplantation to become eligible. The rise of artificial intelligence technology has also provided new tools for patient screening, classification, prognostic evaluation, and personalized treatment, further promoting the precision of liver transplantation in HCC. Therefore, this article reviews the scientific evolution of indications for liver transplantation in HCC and the role of artificial intelligence in revolutionizing the outcomes of liver transplantation for HCC patients, with the aim of benefiting more patients with HCC.
8.Heart rate changes in patients during small incision lenticule extraction surgery
Yan ZHAO ; Kun ZHOU ; Jun CAI ; Caiyuan XIE ; Di SHEN ; Jiaqian ZHANG ; Wei WEI
International Eye Science 2025;25(4):685-688
AIM: To explore the factors influencing heart rate(HR)changes during small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)surgery by monitoring HR trends at different time points of the procedure.METHODS: Prospective cohort study. A total of 69 patients who underwent SMILE surgery at the Laser Vision Correction Center of Xi'an No.1 Hospital from April to May 2024 were enrolled. Before the surgery, patients completed the State Anxiety Inventory(S-AI, questions 1-20)to assess their preoperative anxiety scores related to the next day's surgery. Baseline HR was recorded using medical pulse oximeter, and real-time HR was recorded during patient positioning, lenticule scanning, lenticule separation and extraction, and the application of postoperative eye drops.RESULTS: The HR during patient positioning was 83.61±13.87 bpm, which was significantly different from the baseline HR(77.52±10.88 bpm), HR during lenticule separation and extraction(75.54±12.52 bpm), and HR during postoperative eye drop application(76.65±10.54 bpm; all P<0.001). When stratified by median age, older patients(>26 years)had the HR during lenticule separation and extraction 76.27±9.93 bpm, which differed from the HR at positioning(84.82±14.10 bpm)and at lens scanning(82.76±13.72 bpm; all P<0.005). Stratified by gender, the HR of male patients at positioning was the highest(85.31±16.61 bpm), which differed significantly from the baseline HR(78.26±12.63 bpm), HR during lenticule separation and extraction(77.14±14.59 bpm), and HR during postoperative eye drop application(77.11±12.49 bpm; all P<0.005). There was no correlation between HR during positioning and preoperative anxiety scores(r=0.124, P=0.418).CONCLUSION: HR changes during SMILE surgery vary with different procedural stages, peaking during patient positioning and reaching the lowest point during lenticule separation and extraction. Older patients showed higher HR during positioning, and male patients exhibited higher HR during positioning.
10.Correlations of intelligence level and cognitive function with electroencephalogram abnormalities in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Di WU ; Chunli SHEN ; Jiansheng ZHU ; Tianfu YU
Journal of Clinical Medicine in Practice 2025;29(1):73-76,93
Objective To investigate the correlations of intelligence level and cognitive function with electroencephalogram abnormalities in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD).Methods A total of 85 children with ADHD were enrolled as ADHD group,and another 82 healthy children who underwent physical examinations during the same period were selected as control group.Both groups underwent electroencephalogram examinations and were assessed for intel-ligence level and cognitive function using the Chinese-Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children(C-WISC)and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test(WCST),respectively.Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the correlations of the C-WISC and WCST assessment results with the probability of EEG abnormalities in children with ADHD.Results Children in the ADHD group exhibited high-er incidence of irregular α waves,increased β rhythm,increased θ waves,increased δ waves,epi-leptiform discharges,and a higher overall abnormal rate in electroencephalogram compared to those in the control group(P<0.05).C-WISC assessment results showed that the Verbal Intelligence Quotient(VIQ),Performance Intelligence Quotient(PIQ),and Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient(FIQ)of children in the ADHD group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).According to the electroencephalogram results,children with ADHD were further divided into abnormal group of 41 cases and normal group of 44 cases.The VIQ,PIQ,and FIQ of children in the abnormal group were lower than those in the normal group(P<0.05).The WCST assessment results showed that the number of categories completed by children in the ADHD group was lower than that of the control group,while the number of error responses,perseverative errors,and perseverative responses were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).The VIQ,PIQ,FIQ,and number of categories completed in children with ADHD were negatively correlated with the probability of EEG abnormali-ties(r=-0.421,-0.462,-0.561,-0.403,P<0.05).Conclusion Some children with ADHD exhibit electroencephalogram abnormalities,decreased intelligence levels,and impaired cog-nitive function,and the probability of electroencephalogram abnormalities is negatively correlated with the intelligence level and cognitive function of children with ADHD.

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