1.The Potential Role of Immune Checkpoint Molecules in the Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Hepatitis and in Targeted Therapy
Haixia LI ; Aiping TIAN ; Miao XUE ; Ziyi LI ; Xiaorong MAO
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(2):512-518
Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic, immune-mediated liver injury of unknown etiology. The onset of this disease involves the activation and recruitment of diverse immune and non-immune cells, which in turn trigger hepatic damage. Immune checkpoint molecules (ICM) are expressed on the surface of multiple cell types. By regulating cellular functional states, they help limit the intensity and duration of immune responses, thereby preventing excessive inflammation and tissue damage, and maintaining immune homeostasis. In AIH, however, this natural "braking" mechanism is impaired, leading to aberrant activation of both immune and non-immune cells and the breakdown of immune homeostasis. Consequently, ICM are likely to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of AIH. A deeper understanding of the function of ICM in AIH not onlyadvances our insight into the disease mechanism, but also suggests that targeting these molecules may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AIH.
2.Exploring the mechanism of Yuchang granule on ulcerative colitis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking
Miao HE ; Can XU ; Shunli LYU ; Jingxia CHEN ; Jing TIAN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(4):209-215
Objective To determine the molecular mechanism of Yuchang granule (YCG) against ulcerative colitis (UC) by network pharmacology-based approach combined with molecular docking. Methods TCMSP and HIT database were utilized to search the active components and potential targets of YCG. The effective targets of UC were obtained by GeneCards, CTD, and DisGeNET databases. Venn Diagram was exploited to receive common targets of YCG and UC. Network maps of the TCM of YCG-active component-common targets were constructed by the Cytoscape software to gain key active components. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) of common targets was constructed by the STRING database obtaining core common targets. The mechanism and therapeutic effects of YCG on UC were explored via gene ontology (GO) and the biological pathway (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Molecular docking technology was carried out to verify the combination of core active components with key common targets. Results 98 active components and 237 potential targets were sieved from YCG, and
3.Guidelines for the management of therapeutic drug monitoring
Zhengxiang LI ; Liyan MIAO ; Rong DUAN ; Xiaocong ZUO ; Xianglin ZHANG ; Zhuo WANG ; Miao YAN ; Lingli ZHANG ; Rongsheng ZHAO ; Suodi ZHAI ; Guobiao GAO ; Jinhui TIAN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(11):1381-1392
OBJECTIVE To further standardize the technical operations and management processes throughout therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), clarify the clinical value of TDM implementation, improve the scientific validity and reliability of monitoring results, and provide a solid reference basis for the formulation and optimization of clinical individualized precision dosing regimens. METHODS The Guidelines for the Management of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring were formulated in accordance with the latest definition of guidelines by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and the standard guideline development methodology of the World Health Organization, and in compliance with the requirements of the appraisal of guidelines for research and evaluation. A modified Delphi method was adopted to establish the research question system; evidence-based medicine research methods were applied to systematically search multiple databases to screen the latest and most comprehensive evidence. Evidence was graded and evaluated based on the evidence grading system of the Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, and the grading criteria for recommendation strength from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine were used to determine the recommendation strength. The recommendation opinions were formed through multidisciplinary expert consensus. RESULTS The Guidelines for the Management of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring cover four core modules, including TDM application indications, technical procedures, result interpretation and clinical application, and quality control, involving 18 primary research questions, 34 secondary research questions, and yield 82 recommendations. CONCLUSIONS The guidelines systematically standardize the key technical links and management requirements of the whole TDM process, provide scientific and operable standardized tools, help improve the standardization level of TDM work, promote the translation of monitoring results into clinical decision-making, and provide strong support for precision personalized medicine and ensuring the safety and rationality of medication use.
4.Practice and analysis of the simplified oral premedication protocol with paclitaxel liposome in patients of advanced gastric cancer
Ling ZHONG ; Jinfa CAO ; Miao HE ; Jing TIAN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(6):313-316
Objective To explore a feasible simplified premedication protocol for preventing hypersensitivity reactions to taxanes. Methods The electronic medical record system was used to search for data from 49 patients with advanced gastric cancer who received paclitaxel liposome treatment for the first time in the gastroenterology department of Shanghai Changhai Hospital from 2021-06-01 to 2024-06-30, including premedication protocols, allergic reactions, and other adverse reactions. Results Among 31 patients, the premedication regimen included oral dexamethasone 9 mg at 12 h and 6 h prior to liposomal paclitaxel, plus oral loratadine 10 mg and oral ranitidine 150 mg at 12 h prior to treatment. Among 18 patients, the regimen included oral dexamethasone 9 mg at 12 h and 6 h prior to treatment, and oral loratadine 10 mg at 12 h prior to treatment. None of the patients experienced allergic reactions. The incidence of other adverse reactions did not differ significantly between the two groups(P>0.05). Conclusion Based on literature and practice, a dual simplified premedication protocol of oral corticosteroids(GC)combined with oral H1 receptor blockers(H1RA)was proposed, which provided a new idea for doctors. Further clinical studies are needed to verify its effectiveness.
5.Practice and analysis of the simplified oral premedication protocol with paclitaxel liposome in patients of advanced gastric cancer
Ling ZHONG ; Jinfa CAO ; Miao HE ; Jing TIAN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(6):313-316
Objective To explore a feasible simplified premedication protocol for preventing hypersensitivity reactions to taxanes. Methods The electronic medical record system was used to search for data from 49 patients with advanced gastric cancer who received paclitaxel liposome treatment for the first time in the gastroenterology department of Shanghai Changhai Hospital from 2021-06-01 to 2024-06-30, including premedication protocols, allergic reactions, and other adverse reactions. Results Among 31 patients, the premedication regimen included oral dexamethasone 9 mg at 12 h and 6 h prior to liposomal paclitaxel, plus oral loratadine 10 mg and oral ranitidine 150 mg at 12 h prior to treatment. Among 18 patients, the regimen included oral dexamethasone 9 mg at 12 h and 6 h prior to treatment, and oral loratadine 10 mg at 12 h prior to treatment. None of the patients experienced allergic reactions. The incidence of other adverse reactions did not differ significantly between the two groups(P>0.05). Conclusion Based on literature and practice, a dual simplified premedication protocol of oral corticosteroids(GC)combined with oral H1 receptor blockers(H1RA)was proposed, which provided a new idea for doctors. Further clinical studies are needed to verify its effectiveness.
6.Principles and optimal strategy of antibacterial drug therapy in elderly patients with Helicobacter pylori infection
Miao HE ; Zhuo WANG ; Xin KANG ; Nan DING ; Juan BI ; Jing TIAN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(7):370-375
Objective To explore the principle of antibacterial drug therapy and the strategy of program optimization in elderly patients with Helicobacter pylori(Hp). Methods The common therapeutic regimen of Hp was summarized, and the better therapeutic regimen of elderly Hp patients was screened ultimately. Results Amoxicillin and cefuroxime were relatively safe compared with other recommended antibacterial drugs. Using other commonly antibiotics for Hp should pay attention to the disease of patients and current drug. Conclusion Elderly patients usually suffered from a variety of diseases and required multiple drugs. The application of therapeutic regimen for elderly patients with Hp should be supposed to fully weigh the risks and benefits.
7.Optimization of polysaccharide extraction from Abelmoschus manihot flowers using composite enzymes and a study on the activities of the polysaccharides
Ge LIU ; Cheng LUO ; Huifang CHAI ; Yan LI ; Tian LU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(18):2369-2375
OBJECTIVE To optimize the extraction process of polysaccharides from Abelmoschus manihot flowers, and to investigate the antioxidant, moisturizing and hygroscopicity activities of the polysaccharides.METHODS The optimal ratio of composite enzymes was determined by orthogonal experiments, and the extraction process of polysaccharides was optimized by single-factor experiments and Box-Behnken response surface methodology, and validated. The scavenging rates of 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radicals, hydroxyl free radicals, and superoxide anion free radicals, as well as the total reducing ability of the polysaccharides were investigated by the ABTS method, Fenton-salicylic acid colorimetric method, pyrogallol autoxidation method, and potassium ferricyanide reduction method, respectively. The moisturizing and hygroscopicity activities of the polysaccharides were evaluated by the weighing method.RESULTS The optimal ratio of composite enzymes was 136 000 U of papain, 125 000 U of pectinase,and 5 000 U of cellulase. The optimal extraction process was as follows: enzymatic hydrolysis time of 2.8 h, enzymatic hydrolysis temperature of 57.50 ℃, pH of the sodium dihydrogen phosphate-disodium hydrogen phosphate buffer was 5.5, and solid-to-liquid ratio of 1∶40. The results of three experiments showed that the average polysaccharides extraction rate of 23.595%, with an RSD of 0.90%. The scavenging rates of ABTS free radicals, hydroxyl free radicals, superoxide anion free radicals, and total reducing ability were 81.759%, 87.110%, 54.244%, and 1.129 (the mass concentrations of polysaccharides were 10、 5、 10, and 10 mg/mL, respectively), respectively. At relative humidity of 43% for 12 h, the moisturizing rate and hygroscopicity rate of polysaccharides were 99.387% and 100.478%, respectively; at relative humidity of 83% for 12 h, they were 99.764% and 100.455%, respectively.CONCLUSIONS The optimal extraction process of polysaccharides from A.manihot flowers based on the composite enzymes is stable and feasible; the polysaccharides obtained under this process have good antioxidant, moisturizing, and hygroscopicity activities.
8.Electroacupuncture at the Governor Vessel / Jiaji Acupoints Can Activate Lumbar Spinal Cord Neurons to Improve the Motor Function of the Hind Limbs in Rats with Spinal Cord Injury
Yidong LIAO ; Minghan KE ; Miao TIAN ; Beining LI ; Guanheng HE ; Biqin LAI ; Yuanshan ZENG ; Ying DING
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2026;47(4):644-655
ObjectiveTo explore the effects of electroacupuncture at governor vessel or Jiaji acupoints on the activation of lumbar spinal cord neurons and the recovery of motor function in paralyzed hind limbs in rats with complete transection of spinal cord injury. MethodsTwenty adult female SD rats were selected. Among them, 15 rats underwent the complete transection of the 10th thoracic spinal cord and were randomly divided into the Control group, the electroacupuncture at governor vessel acupoints (GV) group and the electroacupuncture at Jiaji acupoints (JJ) group, with 5 rats in each group. The other 5 rats served as the Normal group. Electroacupuncture treatment was initiated 3 days after surgery in the GV and JJ groups and performed every other day. Basso-Beatti-Bresnahan (BBB) behavioral score was evaluated weekly. Eight weeks after the operation, cortical motor evoked potential (CMEP) detection was performed, followed by perfusion fixation, tissue harvest, frozen sectioning, and immunofluorescence staining experiments. Results① Both electroacupuncture treatments activated the expression of the excitatory marker c-Fos in L1 spinal cord neurons. The c-Fos+ activated neurons were mainly distributed in lamina Ⅳ, Ⅴ and Ⅶ of the L1 spinal cord, while no c-Fos+ neuron was observed in the Normal group and the Control group. The percentages of c-Fos+ neurons activated by electroacupuncture in the GV group and the JJ group were (10.23±0.15) % and (10.77±1.12) %, respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two electroacupuncture groups. ② vGluT1+ proprioceptive afferent nerve fibers were mainly distributed in the dorsal horn and lamina Ⅶ of intermediate zone of L1 spinal cord gray matter. In the dorsal horn of L1 spinal cord, the relative fluorescence intensity of vGluT1+ nerve fibers in the GV group and the JJ group were greater than that in the Control group, and that in the JJ group was greater than that in the GV group. In the lamina Ⅶ in intermediate zone of L1 spinal cord, where the central pattern generator (CPG) for hindlimb rhythmic movement is located, the relative fluorescence intensity of vGluT1+ nerve fibers in the GV group and the JJ group were significantly higher than that in the Control group, and the JJ group was also higher than the GV group; The lamina Ⅶ neurons innervated by vGluT1+ axon terminals were activated to express the excitatory marker c-Fos in the GV group and the JJ group. ③ The immunofluorescence staining results of acetylcholinesterase (ChAT) in the ventral horn of L4 spinal cord of each group showed that the number of surviving ChAT+ motor neurons in the GV group (19.1±3.4, P=0.000 2) and JJ group (19.0±2.9, P=0.000 2) were higher than that in the Control group (9.9±1.9). ④ The quantitative analysis of the vGluT2+ excitatory axonal terminals, vGAT+ inhibitory axonal terminals, and the ratio of vGluT2+/vGAT+ axonal terminals [reflecting the excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance of motor neurons] innervating ChAT+ motor neurons in the ventral horn of the L4 spinal cord revealed that all three indices were significantly higher in the GV and JJ groups than in the Control group. Moreover, the E/I ratio of motor neurons in the two electroacupuncture groups gradually reached the same level as normal and showed no statistical difference from the Normal group. ⑤ The electrophysiological and behavioral detection results showed that compared with the Control group, the latencies of CMEP in the GV group and the JJ group shortened, while their amplitudes increased. The BBB score of paralyzed hindlimbs showed that after 8 weeks of treatment, the scores of both the GV group (4.25±1.26, P=0.023 4) and the JJ group (4.75±0.96, P=0.000 2) were higher than those of the Control group (1.80±1.30), but there was no statistical difference between the two electroacupuncture groups. ConclusionElectroacupuncture at GV or JJ acupoints may promote the afferent of vGluT1+ proprioceptive nerve fibers into the spinal cord, indicating the possibility to activate CPG neurons in lamina Ⅶ of L1 spinal cord; facilitate the survival of motor neurons in the L4 spinal cord and restore their excitatory/inhibitory balance, improving the motor function of the paralyzed hindlimbs in rats.
9.Traditional Chinese medicine phenomics research on glycolipid metabolism disorder: a review
Xinyi FANG ; Linxuan MIAO ; Yanjiao ZHANG ; Yuxin ZHANG ; Runyu MIAO ; Huifang GUAN ; Jiaxing TIAN
Digital Chinese Medicine 2025;8(1):49-58
Abstract
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has demonstrated unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as glycolipid metabolism disorder. However, its widespread application has been hindered by the unclear biological essence of TCM syndromes and therapeutic mechanisms. As an emerging interdisciplinary field, phenomics integrates multi-dimensional data including genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and microbiome. When combined with TCM's holistic philosophy, it forms TCM phenomics, providing novel approaches to reveal the biological connotation of TCM syndromes and the mechanisms of herbal medicine. Taking glycolipid metabolism disorder as an example, this paper explores the application of TCM phenomics in glycolipid metabolism disorder. By analyzing molecular characteristics of related syndromes, TCM phenomics identifies differentially expressed genes, metabolites, and gut microbiota biomarkers to elucidate the dynamic evolution patterns of syndromes. Simultaneously, it deciphers the multi-target regulatory networks of herbal formulas, demonstrating their therapeutic effects through mechanisms including modulation of insulin signaling pathways, improvement of gut microbiota imbalance, and suppression of inflammatory responses. Current challenges include the subjective nature of syndrome diagnosis, insufficient standardization of animal models, and lack of integrated multi-omics analysis. Future research should employ machine learning, multimodal data integration, and cross-omics longitudinal studies to establish quantitative diagnostic systems for syndromes, promote the integration of precision medicine in TCM and western medicine, and accelerate the modernization of TCM.
10.Effects of nicotinamide mononucleotide on hypertensive rats
Yuchen WEI ; Jiasheng TIAN ; Daoxin WANG ; Qisheng LING ; Zhi WANG ; Chaoyu MIAO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2025;43(5):213-221
Objective To explore the effects of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) on hypertensive rats. Methods Two rat hypertension models including spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR)and two-kidney two-clip (2K2C) rats were used to be given single, long-term or lifelong administration of NMN respectively. NMN’s effects were assessed comprehensively by monitoring survival time, blood pressure levels, and the extent of organ damage in hypertensive model rats. Results It was revealed that NMN did not exhibit protective effects in terms of lowering blood pressure levels, reducing organ damage or increasing survival time in hypertensive rats. Conclusion This study suggested that NMN did not demonstrate anti-hypertensive effects in rat hypertension models and could provide valuable insights for future clinical observation on NMN.

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