1.Traditional Chinese Medicine Regulates NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Treating Diabetic Retinopathy: A Review
Yue ZHU ; Ze WANG ; Yueyao TANG ; Ruoshan GAO ; Xianyan SHEN ; Ruiping XIE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(18):315-324
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus, and its characteristic pathological changes include microaneurysm formation, hemorrhagic focus formation, exudate deposition, and neovascular proliferation. Long-term hyperglycemic state can induce inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which destroys the blood-retinal barrier and promotes the progression of DR. Although the current clinical treatment methods (such as laser photocoagulation and anti-VEGF drugs) have certain effects, they still have limitations, and there is an urgent need to explore safer and multi-target intervention strategies. Recent studies have discovered that the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway plays a key role in the pathological process of DR. This pathway affects the occurrence and development of DR by regulating the release of inflammatory factors, oxidative stress response, and angiogenesis. With the advantages of multi-component, multi-target and overall regulation, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown unique potential in the prevention and treatment of DR. Especially, its precise regulation of the NF-κB pathway has become a research hotspot. This article systematically reviews the mechanisms of action of NF-κB-related signaling pathways in DR, with focuses on the research progress in TCM single herbs and active ingredients, Chinese patent medicines, and TCM compound preparations in ameliorating DR by regulating the NF-κB pathway. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis and a transformation direction for the development of drugs for the prevention and treatment of DR.
2.HydroMg alleviates doxorubicin-induced chronic cardiotoxicity by attenuating oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial function
Lu ZHANG ; Xiurui MA ; Yawei JIN ; Yuning ZHANG ; Xiong GAO ; Mohan LI ; Ze YUAN ; Yihua LU ; Wenjiang DING ; Zhiguang DING ; Xiaolei SUN ; Chunxiao ZHANG ; Jian AN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2026;33(4):582-591
Objective To investigate the protective effect and underlying mechanisms of HydroMg, a novel sustained-release hydrogen donor, in a model of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced chronic cardiotoxicity. Methods H9C2 cells were treated with 1 μmol/L DOX and/or 1 μg/mL HydroMg, and mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and apoptosis were measured. In the animal experiment, mice were divided into control, HydroMg, DOX, and DOX+HydroMg groups. The HydroMg group received intraperitoneal injection of HydroMg (100 mg/kg). Chronic cardiotoxicity was established by intraperitoneal injection of DOX (5 mg/kg every week) for four consecutive weeks; In the DOX+HydroMg group, HydroMg (100 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 4–5 h prior to each DOX injection. Cardiac function and remodeling were evaluated by echocardiography and heart weight index (HWI). The long-term survival of mice were analyzed. Subsequently, transcriptome sequencing was performed on myocardial tissues from the DOX group to identify key molecular alterations compared with controls. Results At the cellular level, HydroMg treatment effectively reversed DOX-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, as evidenced by restored membrane potential, reductions in total ROS and mitochondrial superoxide levels by approximately 30% and 9%, respectively, and a decrease in the apoptosis rate from 34.13% to 18.27%. In the animal model, compared with the DOX group, HydroMg intervention increased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and fractional shortening (LVFS) by 9.62% and 5.82%, respectively, attenuated the reduction in HWI (4.41 mg/mm vs 3.53 mg/mm), and improved the 4-week survival rate (80% vs 60%). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the core molecular features of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, including widespread suppression of oxidative phosphorylation and antioxidant pathways. Conclusions HydroMg protects against DOX-induced chronic cardiotoxicity by alleviating oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial function, and provides a potential therapeutic strategy against DOX-related cardiotoxicity.
3.Mechanisms and Molecular Networks of Hypoxia-regulated Tumor Cell Dormancy
Mao ZHAO ; Jin-Qiu FENG ; Ze-Qi GAO ; Ping WANG ; Jia FU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2267-2279
Dormant tumor cells constitute a population of cancer cells that reside in a non-proliferative or low-proliferative state, typically arrested in the G0/G1 phase and exhibiting minimal mitotic activity. These cells are commonly observed across multiple cancer types, including breast, lung, and ovarian cancers, and represent a central cellular component of minimal residual disease (MRD) following surgical resection of the primary tumor. Dormant cells are closely associated with long-term clinical latency and late-stage relapse. Due to their quiescent nature, dormant cells are intrinsically resistant to conventional therapies—such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy—that preferentially target rapidly dividing cells. In addition, they display enhanced anti-apoptotic capacity and immune evasion, rendering them particularly difficult to eradicate. More critically, in response to microenvironmental changes or activation of specific signaling pathways, dormant cells can re-enter the cell cycle and initiate metastatic outgrowth or tumor recurrence. This ability to escape dormancy underscores their clinical threat and positions their effective detection and elimination as a major challenge in contemporary cancer treatment. Hypoxia, a hallmark of the solid tumor microenvironment, has been widely recognized as a potent inducer of tumor cell dormancy. However, the molecular mechanisms by which tumor cells sense and respond to hypoxic stress—initiating the transition into dormancy—remain poorly defined. In particular, the lack of a systems-level understanding of the dynamic and multifactorial regulatory landscape has impeded the identification of actionable targets and constrained the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Accumulating evidence indicates that hypoxia-induced dormancy tumor cells are accompanied by a suite of adaptive phenotypes, including cell cycle arrest, global suppression of protein synthesis, metabolic reprogramming, autophagy activation, resistance to apoptosis, immune evasion, and therapy tolerance. These changes are orchestrated by multiple converging signaling pathways—such as PI3K-AKT-mTOR, Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK, and AMPK—that together constitute a highly dynamic and interconnected regulatory network. While individual pathways have been studied in depth, most investigations remain reductionist and fail to capture the temporal progression and network-level coordination underlying dormancy transitions. Systems biology offers a powerful framework to address this complexity. By integrating high-throughput multi-omics data—such as transcriptomics and proteomics—researchers can reconstruct global regulatory networks encompassing the key signaling axes involved in dormancy regulation. These networks facilitate the identification of core regulatory modules and elucidate functional interactions among key effectors. When combined with dynamic modeling approaches—such as ordinary differential equations—these frameworks enable the simulation of temporal behaviors of critical signaling nodes, including phosphorylated AMPK (p-AMPK), phosphorylated S6 (p-S6), and the p38/ERK activity ratio, providing insights into how their dynamic changes govern transitions between proliferation and dormancy. Beyond mapping trajectories from proliferation to dormancy and from shallow to deep dormancy, such dynamic regulatory models support topological analyses to identify central hubs and molecular switches. Key factors—such as NR2F1, mTORC1, ULK1, HIF-1α, and DYRK1A—have emerged as pivotal nodes within these networks and represent promising therapeutic targets. Constructing an integrative, systems-level regulatory framework—anchored in multi-pathway coordination, omics-layer integration, and dynamic modeling—is thus essential for decoding the architecture and progression of tumor dormancy. Such a framework not only advances mechanistic understanding but also lays the foundation for precision therapies targeting dormant tumor cells during the MRD phase, addressing a critical unmet need in cancer management.
4.Imaging changes of the intervertebral disc after posterior cervical single door enlarged laminoplasty for cervical spinal stenosis with disc herniation.
Yan-Dong ZHANG ; Xu-Hong XUE ; Sheng ZHAO ; Gui-Xuan GE ; Xiao-Hua ZHANG ; Shi-Xiong WANG ; Ze GAO
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2025;38(6):572-580
OBJECTIVE:
To explore prevalence, incidence and possible factors of immediate herniated discs after posterior cervical expansive open-door laminoplasty (EODL).
METHODS:
Totally 29 patients with cervical spinal stenosis and intervertebral disc herniation who underwent EODL from October 2020 to December 2021 were collected, including 24 males and 5 females, aged from 43 to 81 years old with an average of (61.3±9.0) years old;the courses of disease ranged from 1 to 120 months with an average of (36.4±37.0) months. Three or more intervertebral discs on C3-C7 were observed. The clinical efficacy was evaluated according to Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score before operation, 3 days and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after operation, respectively. The changes of herniated disc before and after operation were measured by multipoint area method and two-dimensional distance method, and incidence and percentage of herniated disc regression were further calculated. Cervical imaging parameters such as Cobb angle (C3-C7), intervertebral angle, T1 slope (T1S), spinal canal sagittal diameter, K-line angle, dural sac sagittal diameter were measured and compared before and after operation. Pearson correlation was used to analyze correlation between cervical sagittal imaging parameters and disc herniation changes before and after operation.
RESULTS:
All patients obtained grade A wound healing, and 14 of them were followed up for 3(1.00, 5.25) months. There were no immediate or long-term postoperative complications. Totally 101 herniated intervertebral discs were measured, of which 79 regression numbers were obtained by area measurement. The number of intervertebral disc regressions by distance measurement was 77. There was no statistically significant difference in Cobb angle, intervertebral angle, T1S and K-line angle of C3-C7 (P>0.05), however, there were statistically significant differences in sagittal diameter of spinal canal, sagittal diameter of dural sac, and JOA score before and after operation(P<0.05). The regression ratio of disc herniation ranged from 5% to 50%, and regression ratio of disc herniation was greater than 25% in 45.57%(36/79). Disc herniation in C4,5 was positively correlated with sagittal plane diameter in C5(r=0.423, P=0.028). There was a negative correlation between changes of C3,4 and C3,4 intervertebral angle (r=-0.450, P=0.041). The improvement rate of cervical JOA score immediately after operation was (59.54±15.07) %, and postoperative follow-up improved to (76.57±14.66) %.
CONCLUSION
Herniated disc regression immediately after EODL is a common occurrence, and EODL should be selected as far as possible under the premise of satisfying surgical indications. The regression of disc herniation is positively correlated with spinal canal sagittal diameter, and spinal canal should be enlarged as far as possible in the appropriate scope during EODL, so as to create more opportunities and conditions for disc regression and achieve better clinical results.
Humans
;
Female
;
Male
;
Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnostic imaging*
;
Spinal Stenosis/diagnostic imaging*
;
Laminoplasty/methods*
;
Middle Aged
;
Aged
;
Cervical Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging*
;
Adult
;
Aged, 80 and over
;
Intervertebral Disc/surgery*
5.Advantages of Chinese Medicines for Diabetic Retinopathy and Mechanisms: Focused on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress.
Li-Shuo DONG ; Chong-Xiang XUE ; Jia-Qi GAO ; Yue HU ; Ze-Zheng KANG ; A-Ru SUN ; Jia-Rui LI ; Xiao-Lin TONG ; Xiu-Ge WANG ; Xiu-Yang LI
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(11):1046-1055
6.Analysis of the Development and Implementation of the Environmental Damage Compensation System in Japan
Kai HE ; Jin-Long YUAN ; Chang-Mao QIU ; Ze-Jun LIU ; Yuan-Feng QI ; Zhen-Hui GAO
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(1):74-82
In the 1950s and 1960s,Japan's implementation of policies prioritizing economic develop-ment caused a lack of effective supervision over the discharge of industrial wastewater and exhaust gases,which led to the occurrence of the"Four Major Pollution Diseases",including Minamata disease,causing serious social and public health problems.To more effectively address public nuisances and pro-vide compensation to victims,the Japanese government gradually established an environmental damage compensation system with administrative relief characteristics since the 1970s.Through long-term prac-tice and system optimization,this system has evolved into a mature institutional framework with a clear division of labor and efficient collaboration.This paper systematically reviews the development process of Japan's environmental damage compensation system and deeply analyzes its legal frame-work and supporting policies,aiming to provide useful references for the construction and improve-ment of China's environmental damage compensation system.Meanwhile,through the case analysis of Minamata disease,the paper explores the specific mechanisms and effects in the compensation practices,further revealing the system's operational characteristics and implications,and providing a reference ba-sis for the construction of China's environmental governance legal system.
7.Research Progress of Chirp ABR and Its Application in Forensic Auditory Identi-fication
Yan GAO ; Fang CHEN ; Wen-Tao XIA ; Xiao-Ping YANG ; Ze-Yu WANG ; Ze-Ren YANG ; Xia LIU ; Yan-Liang SHENG
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(4):387-393
The objective assessment of hearing loss is one of the critical components in forensic clini-cal research.Auditory brainstem response(ABR)is an important method for objectively assessing hearing levels.It is divided into various types based on different stimulus signals,each with its own characteris-tics and applications.Among them,narrow-band Chirp ABR,due to its frequency specificity,fulfills the basic requirements for objective assessment of forensic audiology,promising to be an important method of objective hearing assessment in forensic medicine.This article reviews the development history,charac-teristics and clinical applications of Chirp ABR,and envisions its application prospects in forensic audi-tory identification.
8.Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the postoperative recovery in children scale for dental treatment under general anesthesia (PRiC-DTGA) in Chinese children
Xiaotong SHI ; Bing LIU ; Ze FAN ; Yao ZHANG ; Tiantian LIU ; Zhenzhen GAO ; Haopeng ZHANG ; Hui ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Stomatology 2025;60(10):1128-1136
Objective:To translate and adapt the postoperative recovery in children (PRiC) scale, developing a Chinese version for children undergoing dental treatment under general anesthesia (PRiC-DTGA) with validated psychometric properties.Methods:The PRiC scale underwent forward-backward translation using Brislin′s model. A convenience sample of DTGA patients from the Department of Anesthesiology, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Mility Force Medical University was enrolled for a cross-sectional survey on postoperative complications. Delphi expert consultation informed cultural adaptation based on survey findings to develop the PRiC-DTGA Chinese version. Psychometric validation included reliability and validity testing in a separate DTGA cohort at the same center (April-October 2024).Results:Results from the cross-sectionalsurvey of 231 children showed that 82.7% (191/231) of them hadat least one postoperative complication within 72 hours, and these complications were mainly mild local symptoms. Additionally, 358 copies of the Chinese version of the PRiC-DTGA scale were distributed; 21 invalid questionnaires with incomplete information were excluded, and a total of 337 cases were included inthe study. The final PRiC-DTGA comprised 22 items across three dimensions including physical comfort, social ability, and negative emotional. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) confirmed all factor loadings>0.4. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) demonstrated adequate fit: χ 2/df=1.665, tucker-Lewis index (TLI)=0.924, comparative fit index (CFI)=0.896, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR)=0.041, and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.044 (90% CI: 0.035-0.053). Reliability was strong with Cronbach′s α (total scale)=0.853, subscale α=0.632-0.723, split-half reliability=0.824. Validity indices met standards: scale-content validity index (S-CVI)=0.909, Item-CVI range=0.944-1.000, average variance extracted (AVE)=0.473-0.501, composite reliability (CR)=0.830-0.913. Conclusions:The systematically adapted PRiC-DTGA demonstrates robust reliability and validity, serving as an effective tool for assessing postoperative recovery quality in Chinese children following DTGA.
9.Pathogen investigation of acute respiratory tract infection cases in Yucheng from March to June 2023
Qi WEN ; Huarong YANG ; Qin LUO ; Ze CHEN ; Qiangqiang SHI ; Haijun DU ; Chen GAO ; Guoyong MEI ; Jun HAN ; Qinqin SONG ; Shuying LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental and Clinical Virology 2025;39(2):189-194
Objective:Analysis of the composition of pathogen spectrum and prevalence characteristics in throat swabs of patients with acute respiratory infections (ARI) in Yucheng city, Henan province, from March to June 2023.Methods:After 1 153 throat swabs were collected from ARI patients in Yucheng, 18 respiratory pathogens were tested using a real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. The characterization of pathogens spectrum was analyzed.Results:A total of 1 153 throat swabs from ARI patients were collected from March to June 2023 in Yucheng, including 171 outpatients and 982 hospitalized patients. A total of 244 positive samples for common respiratory pathogens were detected (at least one pathogen per sample was detected). The total detection rate of respiratory pathogens was 21.16%, and the top three detection rates were, in descending order, human bocavirus (HBoV), enterovirus (EV), and human parainfluenza virus (HPIV). The main detection month for pathogens was May, with a detection rate of 42.3% (60/142). The main respiratory pathogens detected are HBoV, EV, and HPIV. The detection rate of the age group under 1 year old was the highest, at 25.1% (49/195), mainly consisting of HBoV, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and HPIV. The main clinical manifestations of respiratory pathogen-positive patients were fever and cough, and the clinical diagnosis was mainly lower respiratory tract infection, all of which were hospitalized patients.Conclusions:The respiratory pathogens in ARI patients were mainly HBoV, EV, and HPIV from March to June, 2023 in Yucheng. The peak of the epidemic was in May, mainly infecting children under 5 years of age.
10.LGR5 interacts with HSP90AB1 to mediate enzalutamide resistance by activating the WNT/β-catenin/AR axis in prostate cancer.
Ze GAO ; Zhi XIONG ; Yiran TAO ; Qiong WANG ; Kaixuan GUO ; Kewei XU ; Hai HUANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(23):3184-3194
BACKGROUND:
Enzalutamide, a second-generation androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibitor, is widely used in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, after a period of enzalutamide treatment, patients inevitably develop drug resistance. In this study, we characterized leucine-rich repeated G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) and explored its potential therapeutic value in prostate cancer.
METHODS:
A total of 142 pairs of tumor and adjacent formalin-fixed paraf-fin-embedded tissue samples from patients with prostate cancer were collected from the Pathology Department at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hos-pital. LGR5 was screened by sequencing data of enzalutamide-resistant cell lines combined with sequencing data of lesions with different Gleason scores from the same patients. The biological function of LGR5 and its effect on enzalutamide resistance were investigated in vitro and in vivo . Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pull-down, coimmunoprecipitation, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence assays were used to explore the specific binding mechanism of LGR5 and related pathway changes.
RESULTS:
LGR5 was significantly upregulated in prostate cancer and negatively correlated with poor patient prognosis. Overexpression of LGR5 promoted the malignant progression of prostate cancer and reduced sensitivity to enzalutamide in vitro and in vivo . LGR5 promoted the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) by binding heat shock protein 90,000 alpha B1 (HSP90AB1) and mediated the activation of the Wingless/integrated (WNT)/β-catenin signaling pathway. The increased β-catenin in the cytoplasm entered the nucleus and bound to the nuclear AR, promoting the transcription level of AR, which led to the enhanced tolerance of prostate cancer to enzalutamide. Reducing HSP90AB1 binding to LGR5 significantly enhanced sensitivity to enzalutamide.
CONCLUSIONS
LGR5 directly binds to HSP90AB1 and mediates GSK-3β phosphorylation, promoting AR expression by regulating the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby conferring resistance to enzalutamide treatment in prostate cancer.
Male
;
Humans
;
Phenylthiohydantoin/pharmacology*
;
Benzamides
;
Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/genetics*
;
Nitriles
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism*
;
Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics*
;
Prostatic Neoplasms/drug therapy*
;
beta Catenin/metabolism*
;
Receptors, Androgen/genetics*
;
Animals
;
Mice
;
Wnt Signaling Pathway/physiology*

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